I’m Building AR/XR Experiences for Nigeria Without ARCore or ARKit

Olukoya iyiola — Wed, 27 May 2026 08:01:58 +0000

Most AR/XR content online assumes you have:

ARCore / ARKit
flagship devices
fast internet
app store distribution

But I’m building from a different reality.

I’m an XR/AR developer and product strategist based in Nigeria, studying Computer Science at Babcock University. I’ve been exploring how spatial computing can work in environments where those assumptions don’t hold.

So instead of native apps, I use browser-based AR (mainly AR.js) powered by QR codes.

No installs.
No app store friction.
Just scan → open → experience.

This post is a quick overview of what I’m currently building and exploring.

Why WebAR instead of native AR?

In my context, distribution matters more than features.

If users need to:

download an app
sign up
or have high-end hardware

…it already limits adoption heavily.

But if they can:

scan a QR code and instantly see something in AR

then the barrier drops significantly.

That single constraint changes how I design everything.

1. Cultural Headwear AR (Try-on + Cultural Discovery)

Traditional African headwear carries deep cultural meaning, but most of it is lost in static images.

So I started thinking:

What if each item could become interactive?

Each headwear piece becomes a digital object with:

AR try-on in browser
cultural meaning + origin
3D preview
QR-linked social filters (Snapchat, TikTok)

Tools like Snapchat and TikTok already make distribution easy.

So the idea is simple:

attach meaning + interaction directly to physical objects.

Use cases:

fashion brands
cultural exhibitions
tourism boards
markets and vendors

2. CakeView — AR Cake Ordering

One problem I keep seeing in local bakeries:

Customers can’t visualize what they are ordering.

Everything happens through:

WhatsApp chats
reference images
repeated corrections

So I explored a different flow:

Scan QR code
Open 3D cake catalog
Customize layers, icing, decorations
Preview in AR on your table
Send final order directly to baker

The goal is simple:

reduce misunderstanding between customer and baker.

This is less “startup idea” and more B2B tool for small businesses.

3. Tourism AR — Turning Posters into Experiences

Most tourism content is static:
posters, flyers, brochures.

I wanted to change that.

With image tracking (AR.js), a printed poster becomes a trigger:

waterfalls animate
wildlife appears
cultural landmarks emerge in 3D

A simple scan turns marketing into experience.

Potential users:

tourism boards
festivals
museums
airlines

This works especially well because it doesn’t require apps — just a camera.

4. AR Food Menus — Spatial Ordering

Food menus are still mostly flat images.

But ordering food is actually a visual decision.

So I explored two ideas:

A. Conversational AR Menu

Scan QR → chat-style menu → select dish → see it in AR on your table

B. Immersive Dish View

Single dish focus:

3D preview
description
price
order button

Why this matters:

better visualization = higher confidence = higher order value

This is especially relevant for small restaurants competing on trust.

What I’m really interested in (long-term)

Beyond commerce, I’m very interested in teleoperation and remote exploration.

XR becomes powerful when it stops being just visualization and becomes interaction with real remote environments.

That includes:

robotics control
industrial systems
underwater exploration
remote learning environments

One area I keep coming back to is marine exploration.

Imagine:

students in Lagos exploring the ocean floor in real time
museums streaming live underwater ROV feeds
researchers collaborating remotely on ocean data

With consumer ROVs and better connectivity, this is becoming more realistic than it sounds.

Why I’m sharing this

None of these are “finished products.”

They’re early-stage explorations.

But I’ve found it more useful to share thinking early rather than waiting for polished outputs.

Because in spatial computing, a lot of the interesting work isn’t just technical.

It’s:

distribution
access
context
and real-world constraints

If you’re building in:

AR / XR / WebAR
creative tech
tourism systems
food commerce tools
or remote exploration infrastructure

I’d love to connect and learn what you’re working on.

DEV Community: Olukoya iyiola