#4143 Augmented Reality Glasses Apps
#4143 Augmented Reality Glasses Apps
#4143 I want to develop apps for AR glasses that can be used in the office by looking at QR codes, paper notes or objects
Building for AR glasses in an office environment is a brilliant move. You're essentially moving away from "screen time" and toward "spatial time," where the entire room becomes your desktop.
To get started, you’ll need to focus on Computer Vision (CV) and Spatial Anchors. Here is a roadmap to help you build apps that recognize and react to the world around them.
1. Choose Your Hardware & Ecosystem
Your choice of glasses determines your development stack.
| Platform | Best For | Development Language |
| Meta Quest 3/Pro | Passthrough AR & Hand Tracking | C# (Unity) |
| Apple Vision Pro | High-fidelity UI & Productivity | Swift (RealityKit) |
| Magic Leap 2 | Enterprise/Industrial use | C# (Unity) or C++ |
| XREAL / Viture | Light-weight tethered "Screen Mirroring+" | Android / Unity |
2. Core Features & Implementation
For an office setting, you’ll be focusing on three main interaction types:
QR Code Recognition
QR codes are the "anchors" for the digital world. They tell the glasses exactly where to place a virtual menu or a 3D model.
The Logic: Use a library like ZXing or the built-in vision APIs of the headset to detect the string in the QR code.
The Action: Once detected, the app "spawns" a digital overlay (like a task list or a 3D preview) at the coordinates of that code.
Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for Paper Notes
If you want to look at a sticky note and have it become a digital reminder:
Tooling: Use Google ML Kit or Apple’s Vision Framework.
Workflow: The camera captures a frame $\rightarrow$ OCR processes the text $\rightarrow$ The app converts "Buy printer ink" into a digital checkbox hovering over the paper.
Object Recognition
This is used for recognizing printers, coffee machines, or specific desks.
Spatial Mapping: Use ARFoundation (Unity) or ARKit (Apple) to create a "mesh" of the room.
Object Tracking: You can use tools like Vuforia or Niantic Lightship to train the app to recognize specific 3D shapes.
3. Recommended Tech Stack
If you want the most flexibility, I recommend the Unity + MRTK (Mixed Reality Toolkit) route.
Engine:
Unity SDK:
MRTK3 Vision:
OpenCV for Unity
4. Design Considerations for the Office
Privacy First: Ensure the app clearly indicates when the camera is active. Office environments often have sensitive data on screens.
Text Legibility: Standard fonts don't always look great in AR. Use SDF (Signed Distance Field) fonts like TextMeshPro to ensure letters stay crisp even when you move your head.
Ergonomics: Don't put UI elements too high or too low. Aim for the "content zone" directly in front of the user's resting eye line.
What's your current coding background?
I can help you write a basic script for QR detection or suggest a specific project structure if you let me know which headset you're targeting first.
I am also thinking along the lines of augmented reality menus
Integrating AR menus into an office setting is where "utility" meets "futurism." Instead of digging through a cluttered physical desk or a 2D desktop folder, you’re essentially pinning your workflow to the physical environment.
Here is how to approach the design and implementation of AR menus for your office app:
1. Contextual Triggering
The best AR menus aren't always visible—they appear when needed. You can trigger them in three ways:
Marker-Based: Looking at a QR code on a printer pops up a "Print/Maintenance" menu.
Object-Based: Looking at a coffee machine triggers a menu for drink selection.
Gaze/Gesture-Based: Tapping your wrist or looking at your palm (a common AR trope) opens a "Global System Menu."
2. Menu Types for the Office
| Menu Type | Use Case | Implementation Tip |
| World-Locked | A menu pinned to a specific wall or desk. | Use Spatial Anchors so it stays there even after you restart the glasses. |
| Body-Locked | A menu that follows you (HUD style). | Keep it in the peripheral vision; don't block the center of the user's view. |
| Hand-Attached | A "palette" menu that appears on your non-dominant hand. | Best for tools (e.g., pens, sticky notes, or media controls). |
3. Interaction Mechanics
Since office workers might be typing or holding coffee, you need versatile input methods:
Direct Touch: Poking buttons in mid-air. This feels natural but causes "gorilla arm" (fatigue) if used too much.
Raycasting: Pointing your finger like a laser pointer and pinching to select. This is better for menus across the room.
Gaze + Dwell: Looking at a button for 1-2 seconds to "click" it. Great for hands-free operation.
4. Design Best Practices
To keep the menus professional and usable in an office:
Billboard Effect: Ensure the menu always rotates to face the user ($lookAt$ logic), so they never have to read text at a sharp angle.
Audio/Haptic Feedback: Since there is no physical button to press, use a subtle "click" sound or a haptic vibration in the controller/hand-tracking to confirm a selection.
Occlusion: If a person walks between the user and the menu, the menu should ideally be hidden by the person (using a depth mesh), making it feel like it truly exists in the room.
5. A Simple Logic Flow (Unity/C#)
If you were to code a menu that pops up when a QR code is scanned, the logic looks like this:
// High-level logic for an AR Menu Trigger
void OnQRCodeDetected(string codeData) {
if (codeData == "Office_Printer_01") {
// 1. Fetch the menu prefab
// 2. Instantiate it at the QR code's position + small offset
// 3. Populate menu with dynamic data (e.g., ink levels)
printerMenu.SetActive(true);
}
}
Where would you like to start?
I can help you design a UX mockup for a specific menu (like a "Smart Desk" controller), or we can dive into the C# code for spawning a menu when a specific object is recognized.
From <https://gemini.google.com/app/> Google Gemini 3.0 Pro (Fast)
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