ARKit Dev Recreates ’80s Classic ‘Take On Me’ by A-Ha in AR

Ever since Apple announced ARKit we’ve seen plenty of excellent examples of what it can do. Now, one of the coolest applications of the technology has been discovered: a faithful recreation of the groundbreaking ’80s animated video “Take On Me” by A-Ha.

Mobile development team TRIXI Studios has been experimenting with a beta version of the upcoming iPhone software update and produced a reworked version of A-Ha’s “Take On Me,” reads a new report from The Verge.

The app uses ARKit, the new augmented reality tools available to developers in iOS 11, to produce an interactive version of the famous sketch world from the original music video.

“When ARKit came along, we were very excited by the idea that just ‘normal’ phones could do such great AR, so it seemed like the perfect situation to stress test what ARKit could do.” TRIXI founder Chip Sineni told The Verge.

Reflecting what happens in A-ha’s “Take On Me” music video, a man beckons to you from the inside of a comic book, which then opens to the iconic hand-drawn world parodied in pop culture ever since the music video’s release in 1984.

It’s an impressive feat, and one that shows how augmented reality can enable new creative experiences. Developers have produced a number of functional ARKit apps, like a tape measure, a restaurant ordering app that lets users preview food, and an educational app that lets children explore the planets.

The “Take On Me” project shows how artists could use augmented reality in their own projects.

Check out the video below.

YouTube video

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