Snapchat's face tracking has certainly come a long way. This week, we've got an example of one effect that is nearly guaranteed to freak out your friends.
Of course, these face-tracking capabilities are available to the Lens Studio community, as evidenced by an augmented reality tribute to rock gods KISS. For rear-facing camera AR experiences, we have more dancing characters plus a world-morphing effect that boggles the mind.
• Don't Miss: Next Reality's 30 People to Watch in Augmented Reality for 2020
Try out these Lenses yourself by scanning their respective Snapcodes.
Defy Nature & Become a Horse
They say don't look a gift horse in the mouth. But what if that horse was suddenly YOU?!
The Horse Head Lens, another AR gift from Snapchat's creative team, commands you to open your mouth and then slowly morphs your face into an equine.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
The tracking is quite impressive, with the horsehair flowing in response to head movements. In addition, Horse Head mirrors your blinking eyes and mouth movements, so you can indeed look this virtual gift horse in the mouth.
Forget the Facepaint — This Is How to Look Like KISS
In the 1970s, if you wanted to imitate the trademark facepaint of the hottest band in the world, you would need facepaint. But this is the 21st century, and, with Snapchat, you don't have to worry about the messy cleanup later.
The KISS Face filter by objectspace gives you a virtual makeover with the demon look of Gene Simmons, the band's vocalist and bassist. The Lens even gives you the rocker's hairstyle and includes the band's logo for good measure.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
The camera effect even simulates Simmons's world-famous tongue when you open your mouth, though the tracking isn't always accurate -- that's one part of the look that you can't replicate with facepaint.
Dance the Night Away with Chrome Dancers...
Do you miss going to the club and cutting a rug? If you wanna dance with somebody in your socially-distanced locale, we have an otherworldly option for you.
The Chrome Dancers filter by Antoni Tudisco transports three larger-than-life beings with reflective metallic skin into your personal space. As the figures cavort, their skin mirrors their actual surroundings.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
"Before I built my own lens, I spent the day testing out Spectacles 3. Once I was ready, I was able to get an understanding of how AR and the real world could merge together to add my own," said Tudisco via Instagram.
Tudisco has also published a sequel, Chrome Dancers 2, which adds a fourth dancer. Three's a party, four's a crowd, so just pick whichever group you are into.
Chrome Dancers
Chrome Dancers 2
Chrome Dancers
Chrome Dancers 2
...Or Boogie Down with Baby Yoda
Speaking of dancing, who could resist tripping the light fantastic with everyone's favorite Jedi toddler?
The Dancing Baby Yoda filter by Adel beams The Child into your physical environment, where he'll proceed to get down, get down.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Sure, there are other ways to bring Grogu into your own world, but this one is just a little more fun.
Open a Whirlpool in Your Floor
Our last AR experience for this edition of AR Snapshots earns its spot due to its purely trippy nature.
The Vortex filter by Denis Rossiev manifests a virtual vortex on horizontal surfaces in your vicinity, with the mesmerizing effect reflecting the surroundings upon which it is placed. An eery din accompanies the experience, which offers dark and light options.
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
And, since it's a virtual maelstrom, you won't have to worry about it sucking in your belongings or gobbling up your renter's deposit.
Cover image by Tommy Palladino/Next Reality
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