Every AR system comprises 3 components - hardware, software, and the application.

1) Hardware

The hardware refers to your equipment through which the virtual images are projected.
In this case, they are your smartphones. In order for AR to work on these devices, they
must have sensors and processors that can support the high demands of AR. Here are
some of the key hardware components: 

Processor: This is the brain of the device. It determines the speed of your phone and
whether it is able to manage the heavy AR requirements, in addition to its normal phone
functions. 

Graphic Processing Unit (GPU): The GPU handles the visual rendering of a phone’s
display. AR requires high performance GPUs so that the digital content can be created
and superimposed seamlessly.

Sensors: This is the component that gives your device the ability to make sense of its
environment. Common sensors required for AR include: 

- Depth Sensor: To measure depth and distance

- Gyroscope: To detect the angle and position of your phone
- Proximity Sensor: To measure how close and far something is
- Accelerometer: To detect changes in velocity, movement, and rotation
- Light Sensor: To measure light intensity and brightness

These hardware specifications are crucial for AR to function properly on the devices. It
is is one of the reasons why only the later generations of mobile phones have AR
capabilities. 

2) Software

The second component in an AR system is the software, and this is where the AR
magic begins. ARKit (Apple) and ARCore (Android) are some examples of AR software.
These programs have 3 fundamental technologies that enable them to build augmented
reality experiences. 

Environment understanding: This allows your phone to detect prominent feature

points and flat surfaces to map its surroundings out. In doing so, the system can then
place virtual objects accurately on these surfaces.
Motion Tracking: This lets your phone determine its position relative to its environment.
Virtual objects can then be planted on their designated spots on the image.

Light estimation: This gives your phone the ability to perceive the environment’s
current lighting condition. Virtual objects can then be placed in the same lighting
conditions to enhance realism.

Notice how the hardware and software work hand in hand. If the hardware does not
possess the sensors to measure light intensity, the software’s light estimation
capabilities will be of no use.

3) Application

The last component of an AR system is the application itself. 

It is important to be clear that the software allows AR applications to run on your

smartphone but does not possess the AR features. The AR features such as the 3D
objects and filters come from the mobile applications themselves.

Applications such as Snapchat, Pokemon GO, and IKEA Place have their own database
of virtual images and triggering logic. These applications pull virtual images from their
database and map them out onto the live images. 

Working principles of AR
There are generally 2 ways that applications trigger AR features - Marker-based
tracking and Marker-less tracking.

Marker-based tracking: This mode requires optical markers, such as QR codes, to

trigger the AR features. By pointing your mobile camera at one of these barcodes, the
application recognises it and superimposes the digital image on the screen.

Marker-less tracking: This mode is premised on object recognition. AR applications

that work based on marker-less tracking are triggered when they recognise certain real-
world features. In the case of Snapchat, that real-world object is your face.