OVER has recently announced the launch of the Map2Earn Beta program, an initiative which is set to further develop the AR (Augmented Reality) platform and help bring it to the forefront of Web3. Not only is this a truly historic and momentous occasion as the program gets set to revolutionize 3D mapping technology, but the Over the Reality founders have also realized and subsequently solved the issues pertaining to AR-related geolocation problems.
What is OVER?
Before going any further, it might be pertinent to understand what OVER actually is. It is the decentralized infrastructure for an AR metaverse powered by the Ethereum blockchain, and it is constructing the first fully open augmented reality metaverse. In doing so, OVER ushers in a new era for the metaverse by allowing users to create unique geolocalized experiences which bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds. The official token for the platform is OVR.
OVER, which uses the best-in-class, community-driven 3D mapping, therefore enables users and builders to own AR metaverse real estate, and explore Web3 in brand new and innovative ways. In addition, OVER supports real-time augmented reality capabilities, AI avatar motion-captured interactions, and hyperrealistic NFT assets that will be transmissible between different metaverses. Essentially, OVER is the Web3 standard for a truly decentralized AR ecosystem, with over 923,000 active participants to date.
Why does the Map2Earn program matter?
In the past, AR experiences and innovations were often limited by GPS accuracy, which was typically no less than 6 meters outdoors and virtually non-existent indoors. Keeping that in mind, OVER has already achieved an outdoor and indoor accuracy of 20 cm even though various other systems never work inside. As a result, the system is ideal for mapping and developing geo-localized experiences that are embedded in the real world while simultaneously enhancing AR capabilities.
For instance, a digital artwork can be placed on a specific anchor point on a wall, AR experiences can be superimposed on existing buildings, and assets can be geolocated within a building while recognizing the different floors. The potential for this may indeed be limitless and this is only the beginning.
Can anyone use the program?
One of the biggest problems for any platform is accessibility as it would not matter how useful the new initiative is if not everyone can easily use it. This is why anyone with a smartphone, according to OVER’s plan for an open metaverse, can contribute to this worthwhile project. The OVER mapping system allows any smartphone user (no Lidar required) to become a mapper. Furthermore, filming takes only 5 minutes per OVRLand – 300 sqm.
Additionally, an intuitive user interface guides the user through the capture process. The mapper will thus generate three main assets with the first one being a 3D point cloud of the location which will provide the creator with a concise visual reference of the actual 3D structure of the location that he or she wants to augment with the AR experience.
The second asset would involve the clever utilization of computer vision algorithms and the point cloud to provide relocalization algorithms with 20 cm accuracy that locate the observer of the AR experience in space and deliver a coherent experience. Finally, the third asset is a NERF, or neural radiance field. This is a digital twin of the mapped location which can also be considered as a simulation or at least a kind of ‘neural hallucination’ of it. The actual output is a spectacular virtual drone fly-through of the location, but OVER plans to make the location freely explorable, including the localized AR experience, in the near future.
To participate in the OVER Map2Earn Beta, users can download the OVER The Reality app from Google Play or the Apple App Store and then follow the Map2Earn instructions.
What’s the end goal here?
All of the aforementioned elements are represented by NFTs, and the digital assets will be owned by the mapper who provided the raw data to generate the point cloud and digital twin of the location. The goal is to create a Web3-based, community-owned, up-to-date 3D map of the world’s most important indoor and outdoor areas, places visited by humans using smartphones rather than cars and satellites.
The OVRMaps are hence critical for AR; they are the portal to the AR metaverse, and without them, there is no way to augment the physical world reliably and coherently. OVER is blurring the lines between AR and VR with this system, making geolocated AR contents remotely explorable. This first beta release only allows for the creation of maps, neural renders, and relocalization. The created maps will also be mintable as NFTs and freely tradable on the OVER marketplace and other decentralized marketplaces like OpenSea in future Map2Earn releases.
Last but not least, OVER will launch a direct incentivization program for mapping activity, allowing open-to-buy orders to acquire maps of the world’s most significant locations and truly bridge the gap between our world and the virtual one in ways previously deemed inconceivable.
Be sure to check out the official website for more information along with the Discord, Medium, Twitter, and Telegram for regular updates.