Magnopus, an experience technology company, has recently announced the release of its Connected Spaces Platform. This platform is aimed at enabling developers to build an app once and then easily deploy it across multiple platforms, including mobile, web, augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR). The technology has already been recognized as one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2022 and is considered a foundational building block for the spatial internet.
The Connected Spaces Platform is free-to-use under the Apache License 2.0 and can be accessed and contributed to via Github.com and Magnopus.com. This open-source approach aims to foster accessibility and interoperability in the development of spatial applications. By allowing any company or creator to create shared 3D experiences that are connected across physical and digital spaces, Magnopus is paving the way for a more diverse spatial web that communities can build on together.
According to Ben Grossmann, co-founder of Magnopus, interoperability is at the heart of the Connected Spaces Platform. Users today expect experiences to seamlessly work across multiple technologies and platforms, bridging the gap between applications and devices. The technology behind the platform has been developed over five years, with input from a team of more than 60 people and rounds of testing on public experiences and private betas with developers. Now, Magnopus is excited to release the platform to the community to encourage collaboration at scale.
The Connected Spaces Platform offers a range of key features, including cross-reality experiences, cross-platform interactivity and consistency, support for popular game engines like Unreal, Unity, and PlayCanvas, social interactions and presence in shared spaces through avatars, video, audio, and chat, spatial anchoring, extensible multiplayer network architecture, secure collaboration and tool support in real-time, built-in user account management features, and single-sign-on. These features allow developers to create rich and immersive 3D experiences that can be accessed and shared across various devices and platforms.
To demonstrate the capabilities of the Connected Spaces Platform, Magnopus worked with Expo 2020 Dubai to create a city-scale cross-reality connected space. This digital replica of the 4km² site was connected via data streams, 3D models, video, and audio, and allowed both physical visitors and remote virtual visitors to play and learn together in the same digital experience layer in real-time. This project showcases the potential of the platform in creating immersive and collaborative experiences.
Companies like IMxr are already leveraging the Connected Spaces Platform to expedite the creation and development of XR (extended reality) products and services. IMxr is actively developing a pipeline and workflow that utilizes the technology to streamline the presentation of buildings and housing to customers, enabling an effortless, interactive, and collaborative experience through multiplayer functionality.
The potential use cases of the platform are vast and varied. For example, museums or science centers could bring physical exhibits to life by adding digital layers of content that cater to various ages, nationalities, and interest groups, making the exhibits accessible both on-site and remotely. Concerts, conferences, and exhibitions could enhance physical venues with digital overlays, allowing on-site fans to access additional content or performers through their phones, while remote attendees could experience the same through a digital twin accessed via the web or applications. Businesses could create 3D spaces that embody their brand, from traditional storefronts to fantastical worlds, with or without a physical space as a foundation.
Magnopus emphasizes that by making the Connected Spaces Platform open source, they are providing developers with the necessary tools and services to create cross-platform, cross-device, multiplayer connected real-time 3D experiences. This spirit of openness is expected to accelerate adoption, innovation, and progress for all. Developers who utilize the platform now will have the opportunity to contribute to its ongoing evolution, ensuring that everyone can benefit from its continuous improvements.
Founded in 2013, Magnopus is an experience technology company that has been at the forefront of VR, AR, and virtual production for over a decade. With an award-winning team of over 180 artists, designers, and engineers, the company works across offices in Los Angeles and London. Having completed over 100 groundbreaking projects in the XR space, Magnopus has developed and open sourced the Connected Spaces Platform to empower creators and developers to build immersive and interconnected 3D experiences.
For more information on the open-source Connected Spaces Platform, developers can visit magnopus.com or contact the Magnopus team directly at [email protected].
