Feb 02, 2017 12:55 PM EST By Ava Jones, UniversityHerald Reporter

Snapchat is working on an enhanced version of its Lenses to let users overlay augmented reality to the scenes. This means it won't be just limited to faces, but will also include virtual images and other objects, which means the new Snapchat AR capabilities can identify environmental elements.

The updated lenses are advanced version of the "world lenses" that Snapchat used in 2016, Mac Rumors reported. This technology puts different kinds of animations over the real world scenes, including snow, clouds, and other environmental elements. The enhanced "world lenses" can now identify real environmental elements, which allows virtual objects interact with real world elements.

Snapchat Working On AR Like Apple

The new Lenses are expected to bring the new features on the Snapchat app for Android, as well as Apple's iOS, which is what Tim Cook is avidly talking about, Digital Trends reported. The enhanced Snapchat AR Lenses is expected to bring significant advertising opportunities for companies on social media apps. One example is how Pepsi can now sponsor a Lens that overlays on real-world soda cans or bottles.

Technology Explained

The Snapchat AR Lenses is an in-app filter that makes Snaps more exciting by adding effects and virtual objects on real-world images. The newer experimental Lenses are described as "smarter" lenses because they can superimpose digital images over Snaps. However, there are no official reports yet on whether the Lenses are applied automatically or will users have to put the virtual objects manually on the real-world scenes.

Also, the new Snapchat AR Lenses aren't expected for release any time soon. According to reports the enhanced Lenses are not part of the near-term projects of the company. There are speculations that the development of the enhanced Snapchat AR Lenses are just in time for the companies upcoming initial public offering of $25 billion, which is the biggest American tech company IPO offering since the 2012 IPO of social media giant, Facebook.

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