A spatial AR lens built for Snap Spectacles 2024 that transforms real-world walls into an art gallery. Users wearing the glasses can scan their surroundings and pinch to place classic paintings in ornate golden frames—bringing museum-quality art into everyday life. Built in just 2 days using Snap Lens Studio, this prototype expands on my earlier Gallery AR iOS app with a hands-free, immersive upgrade.

This project reimagines traditional art appreciation through the lens of spatial computing. By leveraging Snap Spectacles’ room-scanning and hand gesture capabilities, users can instantly curate a personal gallery of masterworks within their environment—no touchscreen required.

Objectives

  • Prototype a hands-free version of my Gallery AR concept adapted for wearable AR.
  • Explore gesture-based interaction using Spectacles’ pinch recognition.
  • Utilize public domain masterpieces to foster cultural enrichment in daily life.
  • Test device capabilities under creative constraints—battery, FOV, weight—and share learnings for the next-generation product roadmap.

Use Cases

Snap Spectacles

Educational

  • Art History in Context: Teachers and students can turn classrooms into interactive galleries by placing paintings relevant to lessons (e.g., Impressionism, Renaissance).
  • Museum Previews: Museums can offer AR previews of their collections on-site or remotely.
  • Self-Guided Learning: Users can walk through art movements chronologically within their homes.

Lifestyle

  • Interior Enrichment: Decorate physical spaces with rotating digital artwork.
  • Cultural Micro-Moments: Place iconic works like Monet’s Stacks of Wheat (Sunset) or Van Gogh’s The Bedroom above your desk for bursts of daily inspiration.
  • Social Sharing: Snap what’s on your wall and share curated galleries with friends.

Workflow

Lens Studio

  1. Lens Design: Created custom golden frame assets for consistent visual identity.
  2. Environment Mapping: Used Spectacles’ spatial mesh to detect vertical surfaces.
  3. Gesture Integration: Mapped “pinch” gesture to place selected artworks.
  4. Painting Database: Pulled open-access images from the Art Institute of Chicago’s API. Sample artists include:
    • Claude Monet – Stacks of Wheat (Sunset)
    • Vincent van Gogh – The Bedroom
    • Georges Seurat – A Sunday on La Grande Jatte
    • Mary Cassatt – The Child’s Bath

Results

In just 48 hours, I built a functional, immersive lens that runs smoothly on current-gen Snap Spectacles, demonstrating:

Try it on Spectables! - Gallery on Snap Lens

  • Rapid prototyping capabilities
  • Strong command of Lens Studio
  • Creative application of open art data
  • Enthusiastic experimentation with wearable AR

Reflections & Future Potential

While the 2024 Spectacles dev kit is limited by form factor and power, the lens anticipates a richer future for consumer AR. As battery life, comfort, and FOV improve, so will the viability of spatial cultural tools like this one. This prototype is an early stake in the ground—experimental, yet visionary.

My exploration positions me as a forward-leaning prototyper, someone who not only tests the limits of emerging platforms but also dreams and builds what could be. AR isn’t just a feature to me—it’s a medium.