AlvaAR and AR.js Experiments

Introduction

The aim of this project is to explore AlvaAR and integrate with AR.js's location-based LocAR.js, with an eventual aim to place geographic AR content realistically on the ground.

So far, just a proof-of-concept using what I believe is the minimal code for using AlvaAR, and integration with the AR.js location-based API. Nothing particularly exciting for now.

It's mostly about understanding what Alva can do.

Update 2025-08-22

Now using LocAR.js plus the npm-ised version of AlvaAR.

Instructions

Install dependencies

You need to ensure you build the specific versions of LocAR.js and AlvaAR below.

• version 0.1.x of LocAR.js. Can be installed with npm.

• The npm version of AlvaAR. This is not on NPM; it can be obtained from the demomod branch of my modified version of AlvaAR here. The source code is available in the js directory; please build it with

npm run build

and it will produce a tarball.

Run the demo

The demo is setup to run using Vite. You may need to modify the package.json to change the locations of the LocAR.js and AlvaAR tarballs. Then simply

npm install

to install dependencies and

npm run dev

What can it do?

Right now it positions the user at a hard-coded GPS location (for ease of testing) and tracks the user with AlvaAR. It does not attempt to link the two yet, I need to get a good idea of how the AlvaAR tracking is working in the field before I do so, but the aim then will be to refine the GPS position with the tracked AlvaAR position.