Agora.io just launched Agora Virtual Lenses, a new software development kit (SDK) that allows developers to easily add face tracking and special effects to real-time video and live streaming apps. The SDK features include more than 600 sets of 2D and 3D stickers as well as virtual lenses and filters aimed at augmenting the user experience (UX) and driving higher engagement.

Consumers have shown there are more ways to capture and share unique, in-the-moment content, and Agora Virtual Lenses gives developers the tools they need to contribute to the burgeoning ecosystem of real-time social video experiences. The new SDK is open to all developers, meaning anyone can add hundreds of special effects to existing video platforms without a dedicated team of graphic engineers and designers.

“The way we communicate and share content is constantly evolving. As Snapchat’s success has proven, virtual lenses have added a new layer to the way we interact with one another,” says Tony Zhao, founder, and CEO at Agora.io. “We want to democratize that experience by offering a simple SDK that’s open to any developer who wants to add interactive features to existing platforms or channels.”   

Virtual Lenses is designed to be highly scalable on any device or platform without compromising quality. When tested against Snapchat on various devices, Agora Virtual Lenses was found to have lower CPU occupancy and less memory usage by up to 50 percent.

While Virtual Lenses is fully functional as a standalone solution, it complements Agora’s core product, an all-in-one SDK for real-time communications. Agora’s full-stack solution includes:

• Agora Interactive Broadcast API: Adds interactive broadcasting and live streaming functionality to existing web and mobile applications.

• Agora Video Call API: Adds group video conferencing calls with up to seven participants per session.

• Agora Recording Service: For recording and replaying live streams and audio/video calls

• Agora Signaling SDK: For initiating and establishing audio and video calls.

“There’s a growing opportunity for app developers and social media platforms to capture new revenue streams for themselves and their users with live interactive experiences,” continues Zhao. "Agora Virtual Lenses is a groundbreaking addition to our real-time communications suite.”

Agora has more than 30,000 registered developers and its technology has processed more than 7.5 billion minutes of communications across voice, video, and interactive broadcasting on 500 million devices.