How to measure distance using ARCore?

Question

Is it possible to calculate distance between two HitResult `s ?

Or how we can calculate real distance (e.g. meters) using ARCore?

Answer 1

The answer is: Yes, of course, you definitely can calculate distance between two HitResult's. The grid's size for ARCore, as well as for ARKit framework, is meters. Sometimes, it's more useful to use centimetres. Here are a few ways how you do it with Java and great old Pythagorean theorem:

import com.google.ar.core.HitResult

MotionEvent tap = queuedSingleTaps.poll();
if (tap != null && camera.getTrackingState() == TrackingState.TRACKING) {
    for (HitResult hit : frame.hitTest(tap)) {
        // Blah-blah-blah...
    }
}

// Here's the principle how you can calculate the distance  
// between two anchors in 3D space using Java:

private double getDistanceMeters(Pose pose0, Pose pose1) {

    float distanceX = pose0.tx() - pose1.tx();
    float distanceY = pose0.ty() - pose1.ty();
    float distanceZ = pose0.tz() - pose1.tz();

    return Math.sqrt(distanceX * distanceX + 
                     distanceY * distanceY + 
                     distanceZ * distanceZ);
} 

// Convert Meters into Centimetres

double distanceCm = ((int)(getDistanceMeters(pose0, pose1) * 1000))/10.0f;

// pose0 is the location of first Anchor
// pose1 is the location of second Anchor

Or, alternatively, you can use the following math:

Pose pose0 = // first HitResult's Anchor
Pose pose1 = // second HitResult's Anchor

double distanceM = Math.sqrt(Math.pow((pose0.tx() - pose1.tx()), 2) + 
                             Math.pow((pose0.ty() - pose1.ty()), 2) +
                             Math.pow((pose0.tz() - pose1.tz()), 2));

double distanceCm = ((int)(distanceM * 1000))/10.0f;