Precise location-based AR running in the web

A Visual Positioning System (VPS) is a technology that uses computer vision to determine a device's precise location by analyzing visual data from its surroundings. Unlike GPS, which depends on satellite signals and struggles indoors or underground, VPS leverages the device's camera to recognize and map the environment in real time. This allows for highly accurate navigation, asset tracking, and interactive experiences in both indoor and outdoor spaces, enhancing everything from wayfinding to spatial management.

Immersal VPS offers centimetre-level accuracy, far surpassing GPS, which is typically accurate to a few meters. This makes Immersal ideal for applications needing precise indoor navigation, asset tracking, and enhanced experiences in complex environments like malls, museums, and industrial facilities.

Creating your own spatial map is easy, simply sign up for an Immersal account and use the Immersal Mapper for iOS or Android on your smartphone or tablet or use a compatible 360 camera to map your chosen location.

Because Mattercraft is a web-based 3D tool, location-based AR experiences using Immersal VPS can be deployed to both iOS and Android devices. Please note that headsets are not currently supported.

Immersal VPS gives developers full control over map creation, ownership, and hosting. Using the Immersal Mapper app, developers can independently create maps that are instantly available, unlike Niantic’s Lightship VPS, which requires map approval and retains ownership with Niantic.

Deploying location-based AR experiences to the web with Mattercraft offers a streamlined, cross-platform approach. By building content once, you can deploy it instantly across iOS and Android without the need for separate app builds or multiple app store submissions. The same URL or QR code generated by Mattercraft works seamlessly on both platforms. Additionally, web deployment allows you to leverage existing hosting infrastructure and processes, making it easier to integrate Mattercraft AR experiences into an organization’s current web workflows without needing new setups or teams.

To start creating location-based AR with Mattercraft’s Immersal integration, first, create an Immersal account and use the Immersal Mapper on your phone or a compatible 360 camera to map your location. Upload your map to the Immersal Developer Portal, then retrieve the map ID for Mattercraft. Next, log into Zapworks, create a Mattercraft project using the Immersal template, and add your Developer Token and Map ID in the Immersal Anchor Group. This activates your map as a guide for placing 3D assets. Once your design is complete, publish it to the web, making your AR experience instantly accessible via a link—no app required.

For more information, head over to our in-depth documentation: https://docs.zap.works/mattercraft/immersal-vps/

Yes, with Mattercraft’s Immersal integration, you can localize content directly on the device. This on-device localization allows for offline AR experiences, ideal for areas with limited connectivity. Simply use the Immersal Mapper to create and store maps on the device, enabling fast, reliable localization without requiring cloud access.

Yes! You can also self-host location-based AR content created with Mattercraft and Immersal. By choosing to host using your own cloud infrastructure or on-premise deployment, you have full control over your maps and data, allowing you to host content on your own servers and manage access securely, without relying on third-party hosting.

Yes, with Immersal you can map locations for both day and night use. To accommodate different lighting conditions, we recommend creating separate maps for each time—one for daytime and one for nighttime. You can then either *stitch these maps together in Immersal’s developer portal or keep them as distinct maps, allowing users to localize based on the time-specific conditions. For the best results, map locations under lighting conditions similar to when the AR experience will be used.
*NB: map stitching is only available on the Immersal Enterprise plan.

The maximum size for a scanned space is highly flexible. Large areas, such as Helsinki’s 85,000-square-meter Mall of Tripla, have been successfully mapped. Smaller spaces can also be mapped effectively. For extensive locations, you can create multiple overlapping maps and stitch them together, allowing you to build larger maps incrementally without needing to scan everything at once.

Yes, Immersal supports using multiple maps at the same time within a single space. This capability is especially useful in scenarios requiring different levels of detail, easier map updates, or combined indoor/outdoor navigation. For example, you could use a broad map for general localization in a large area, then switch to a highly detailed map for precise positioning in a specific section. It also allows for partial updates; if a room’s layout changes, only that room’s map needs updating. Additionally, multiple maps enable seamless transitions between indoor and outdoor areas, enhancing the user experience across varied environments.

No, the Immersal integration isn’t designed for object tracking. It localizes based on a mapped environment, not individual objects. If an object is permanently fixed within a mapped area, it may be used as a consistent reference point. However, moving the object would prevent accurate localization.