ARToolworks is the oldest open-source augmented reality company, founded in 2000 as a spin-off from HIT Lab US. It provides ARToolkit, the most popular AR toolkit with over 450,000 downloads. ARToolworks has been profitable since 2001 and has experienced 100% revenue growth over the last three years. The company identifies real needs in AR, builds great technology through its team's complementary interests, and engages developers by releasing source code and providing support, which has helped it build a large community and sustainable open-source business model.

1. ARToolworks, Inc.
ARE2011
Building an Open-Source AR Business
Mark Billinghurst – Co-founder
Philip Lamb - CTO

3. ARToolworks – ARE2011
ARToolworks
•Leading AR tool supplier (web, mobile, desktop)
•Oldest open-source AR company
•Founded in 2000, spin-off from the HIT Lab US
•Provides ARToolKit, the world’s most popular AR toolkit
•> 450 000 downloads
•Technology firsts
•Desktop AR SDK, iOS/Android AR SDK, Web AR SDK
•Profitable since 2001
•100% revenue growth last three years

4. ARToolworks – ARE2011
How We Did It
• Identify a real need
• Great team
• Great technology
• Build a community
• Profitable license model
• Spread the wealth
4

5. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Identify a Real Need
• Key problems in AR
• Where are you looking
• How can I interact with content
• Tracking problem

6. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Great Team
• Mark Billinghurst
• Hirokazu Kato
• Meeting Seattle 1997
• Great working relationship
–Complementary interests

7. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Great Technology
• Tracking + Tangible AR Interaction

8. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Build a Community
• High profile demo
• Release source code
• Provide support
• Evangelism
• Engage with developers

9. ARToolworks – ARE2011
High Profile Launch Demo
• Siggraph 1999, 2,500 users, lots of press

10. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Release Source
• artoolkit.sourceforge.net
• >450,000 downloads since August 2004

11. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Support + Evangelism
• Forum
• Tutorials
• Documentation
• Sample applications

12. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Engage with Developers
• Hundreds of projects
• Large research community
• Tens of thousands of projects
• Large research community

13. ARToolworks – ARE2011
ARToolKit Family
ARToolKit
NyARToolKit
JARToolKit
ARToolKit NFT
FLARToolKit
SLARToolKit
ARToolKitPlus
AndAR
ARToolKit iOS
ARToolKit Pro
Android ARToolKit

14. ARToolworks – ARE2011
LICENSING
Licenses are the mechanism for controlling the
value you create by writing the program

15. ARToolworks – ARE2011
What do we mean by
“Open Source” licensing?
• Different levels of openness possible:
• Level 1: User has source code
• Level 2: Source code available to non-users
• Open not necessarily also free
• Primary definition:
user can modify the program.

16. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Open source license models
•Public domain (won't discuss)
•BSD-style (attribution licenses)
can be used in closed-source products, so don't restrict others
from profiting from your work
•LGPL-style "benevolent reciprocal giveaway"
•GPL-style
true "copyleft" - users must also open-source their code
•Restricted
everything else; single-level rights of openness.

17. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Is open source maximally profitable?
• Apple (Darwin,WebKit)
• Google (Android)
• Oracle (MySQL)
• Microsoft (Windows source code to major customers)
• ARToolworks
ARToolKit (free and open)
osgART (open)
ARToolKit Professional,ARToolKit NFT (not free, partially open)
•Open-source programs often live alongside closed
source programs

18. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Open source business model:
1. Write cool program
2. Open the source
3. ????
4. Profit!!

19. ARToolworks – ARE2011
What is #3?
Some possible answers:
•There is no #3, O.S. = profit.
•#3 is services
•#3 is support services
•#3 does not exist

20. ARToolworks – ARE2011
There is no step 3
• Customers are happier: they feel protected in
their investment, and future-proofed
• Customers can do more they sell more➔ ➔
they buy more licenses
• Customers find bugs: better products, more
secure products
• Customers improve the product: two-way
business

21. ARToolworks – ARE2011
Spread the Wealth
• Most tech development outside company
• Exclusive license from developers
• Provide generous royalty back to developers
• Promote developer libraries
• Keep developers happy

22. ARToolworks – AR2011
What’s New?
• New Android ARToolKit SDK
• iPad2 ARToolKit iOS SDK
• OSX markerless tracking
• Unity3D integration
• Desktop, iOS/Android

23. ARToolworks – AR2011
ARToolKit for Unity

24. ARToolworks – AR2011
Demo Time..

25. ARToolworks – AR2011
Conclusion
• You can build a successful open-source AR company
• Basic Recipe
• High profile demo, Release source code
• Provide support, Evangelism
• Engage with developers
• We would love to partner with you

26. ARToolworks, Inc.
Direct technology enquiries to:
Philip Lamb, Chief Technical Officer
philip.lamb@artoolworks.com
www.artoolworks.com