artoolworks are 2011 presentation

ARToolworks, Inc.

ARE2011 Building an Open-Source AR Business

Mark Billinghurst – Co-founder Philip Lamb - CTO

ARToolworks – ARE2011

ARToolworks • Leading AR tool supplier (web, mobile, desktop)

• Oldest open-source AR company

• Founded in 2000, spin-off from the HIT Lab US

• Provides ARToolKit, the world’s most popular AR toolkit

• > 450 000 downloads

• Technology firsts

• Desktop AR SDK, iOS/Android AR SDK, Web AR SDK

• Profitable since 2001

• 100% revenue growth last three years


How We Did It •  Identify a real need

•  Great team

•  Great technology

•  Build a community

•  Profitable license model

•  Spread the wealth

4


Identify a Real Need • Key problems in AR

• Where are you looking

•  How can I interact with content

• Tracking problem


Great Team

• Mark Billinghurst

• Hirokazu Kato • Meeting Seattle 1997 • Great working relationship

– Complementary interests


Great Technology

•  Tracking + Tangible AR Interaction


Build a Community

•  High profile demo

•  Release source code

•  Provide support

•  Evangelism

•  Engage with developers


High Profile Launch Demo

•  Siggraph 1999, 2,500 users, lots of press


Release Source

•  artoolkit.sourceforge.net

•  >450,000 downloads since August 2004


Support + Evangelism

•  Forum

•  Tutorials

•  Documentation

•  Sample applications


Engage with Developers

•  Hundreds of projects

•  Large research community

•  Tens of thousands of projects

•  Large research community


ARToolKit Family ARToolKit

NyARToolKit

JARToolKit ARToolKit NFT

FLARToolKit

SLARToolKit

ARToolKitPlus

AndAR ARToolKit iOS

ARToolKit Pro

Android ARToolKit


LICENSING

Licenses are the mechanism for controlling the value you create by writing the program


What do we mean by “Open Source” licensing?

•  Different levels of openness possible:

•  Level 1: User has source code

•  Level 2: Source code available to non-users

•  Open not necessarily also free

•  Primary definition: ��user can modify the program.


Open source license models • Public domain (won't discuss)

• BSD-style (attribution licenses) ��can be used in closed-source products, so don't restrict others from profiting from your work

• LGPL-style "benevolent reciprocal giveaway"

• GPL-style��true "copyleft" - users must also open-source their code

• Restricted��everything else; single-level rights of openness.


Is open source maximally profitable?

• Apple (Darwin, WebKit)

• Google (Android)

• Oracle (MySQL)

• Microsoft (Windows source code to major customers)

• ARToolworks

★ ARToolKit (free and open)

★ osgART (open)

★ ARToolKit Professional, ARToolKit NFT (not free, partially open)

• Open-source programs often live alongside closed source programs


Open source business model:

1.  Write cool program

2.  Open the source

3.  ????

4.  Profit!!


What is #3?

Some possible answers:

• There is no #3, O.S. = profit.

• #3 is services

• #3 is support services

• #3 does not exist


There is no step 3 •  Customers are happier: they feel protected in

their investment, and future-proofed

•  Customers can do more ➔ they sell more ➔ they buy more licenses

•  Customers find bugs: better products, more secure products

•  Customers improve the product: two-way business


Spread the Wealth

•  Most tech development outside company

•  Exclusive license from developers

•  Provide generous royalty back to developers

•  Promote developer libraries

•  Keep developers happy

ARToolworks – AR2011

What’s New? •  New Android ARToolKit SDK

•  iPad2 ARToolKit iOS SDK

•  OSX markerless tracking

•  Unity3D integration

•  Desktop, iOS/Android


ARToolKit for Unity


Demo Time..


Conclusion •  You can build a successful open-source AR company

•  Basic Recipe

•  Identify a real need

•  Great team, Great technology

•  Build a community

•  Profitable license model, Spread the wealth

• We would love to partner with you

ARToolworks, Inc.

Direct technology enquiries to: Philip Lamb, Chief Technical Officer [email protected]!

www.artoolworks.com