School of Computing and Information, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, United States
Email: vinamrasingh19@gmail.com (V.S.)
Manuscript received February 17, 2024; revised March 21, 2024; accepted May 1, 2024; published November 13, 2024
Abstract—This research investigates the potential of Augmented Reality (AR) applications on mobile devices solely using web browsers, focusing on 3D augmentation via WebGL. It addresses the feasibility of AR in browsers, explores the integration of device sensors, and assesses the performance of WebGL on various mobile platforms. Despite technical challenges, such as camera integration limitations, the study demonstrates the successful implementation of other AR prerequisites on mobile devices. Results reveal significant performance variations between iOS and Android devices, with rendering capabilities generally meeting the task requirements, albeit with some limitations. Battery consumption during WebGL usage is relatively high compared to standard web browsing. Although AR standards in web browsers are not yet mature, and implementations remain unstable, this research suggests that WebGL, in its current state, can augment 3D objects within a user’s mobile view. While widespread adoption may not be immediate, ongoing advancements in both mobile hardware and web standards may pave the way for ubiquitous AR applications in mobile web browsers in the near future.
Keywords—WebGL, augmented reality, JavaScript, mobile devices, benchmarks
[PDF]
Cite: Vinamra Singh, "Augmented Reality on Mobile Browsers with WebGL," International Journal of Future Computer and Communication, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 67-75, 2024.
Copyright © 2024 by the authors. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
(CC BY 4.0)
