LinkDesk’s Devices app for HomeKit lets you control smart accessories using ARKit

It’s no secret that Apple is incredibly bullish on the future of augmented reality, having introduced ARKit 2.0 as part of iOS 12. Now startup LinkDesk is using ARKit to allow you to control your HomeKit accessories.

Using LinkDesk’s Devices app for iOS, you simply scan your room like you would in any other ARKit application. From there, you can place virtual controllers on HomeKit-enabled accessories. These controllers will then link to HomeKit accessories and you can control those accessories through the Devices app’s augmented reality interface.

Point your iPhone or iPad camera to real devices in your home. Once you’ve placed a virtual controller on the right device, it’ll attach itself to it. From then on, the right controller will always appear at the right time. You’ll be able to control HomeKit devices like lamps, window coverings or outlets with just one simple tap on the controller floating in the room.

The functionality is somewhat hard to explain, so check out a demonstration of LinkDesk’s ARKit functionality in the video below. Essentially, you use the AR view to control HomeKit accessories in your real home:

What do you think of this idea? Whether or not it ends up being a practical solution for HomeKit control remains to be seen, but it’s an intriguing idea. Download the Devices app for iOS from the App Store for free to give it a shot yourself.