Amazon is jumping onto the
augmented and virtual reality bandwagon with the launch of Sumerian, a new
application that’s supposed to make it easier for people to develop 3D
experiences for a wide variety of platforms. The browser-based tool is
available in limited preview today. At launch, Sumerian enables developers to
put 3D models together in scenes for use in VR and AR applications. It includes
an object library full of models that people can put to use, as well as support
for importing assets from FBX and OBJ files. On top of this, developers get
access to a set of hosts (3D characters that they can customize to interact
with an end user). These hosts integrate with Amazon Polly and Lex to provide
natural language capabilities similar to those underpinning the Alexa virtual
assistant. Sumerian is designed to be straightforward enough for developers who
are new to building 3D experiences, while retaining the power needed to create
engaging content.
As more developers look to
support AR and VR, and platform owners continue to expand what devices can do,
Sumerian could help make AWS a key home for developing the applications of the
future. Sumerian also dovetails well with AWS’s ongoing push to attract game
developers to its cloud platform. The company already released its own
Lumberyard game engine, which is supposed to provide a substrate for people who
are building interactive experiences. Once users have built an experience in
Sumerian, it can run on hardware such as the HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, and iPhone.
Sumerian will also support building AR scenes for Android devices that are
compatible with ARCore in the near future. Another upcoming key feature is the
ability to import data from Unity projects. That engine is widely used among AR
and VR developers, and providing a bridge between Unity and Sumerian could help
attract developers.