WebARKitLib-rs 🦀

WebARKitLib-rs is a high-performance, memory-safe Rust port of the WebARKitLib (originally C/C++).

This project aims to provide a pure-Rust implementation of the core ARToolKit algorithms, targeting both native systems and WebAssembly (WASM) for high-performance augmented reality in the browser.

[!NOTE] This project is currently a Work in Progress. While the core marker detection and pose estimation are functional, we are continuously optimizing and expanding the feature set.

🌟 Key Features

• Pure Rust: Built for safety, speed, and modern concurrency. (crates.io)
• Dual WASM Strategy: Automated release of both Standard and SIMD binaries to maximize performance and compatibility.
• SIMD-Accelerated Pattern Matching: Uses i16 fixed-point arithmetic and WASM i32x4_dot_i16x8 instructions for ultra-fast correlation matching.
• Barcode Marker Support: Robust decoding for square matrix markers (3x3 to 6x6) with ECC.
• WASM Ready: High-performance tracking in the browser via WebAssembly. (@webarkit/webarkitlib-wasm)
• Side-Effect Free: Pure mathematical engine, easy to test and integrate.
• CI-Integrated Benchmarking: Performance parity with original C implementation.

⚡ Performance & Accuracy

• SIMD-Accelerated Pattern Matching: Uses i16 fixed-point arithmetic for the core correlation loops, leveraging WASM i32x4_dot_i16x8 instructions for significant speedups.
• Numerical Parity: Our SIMD and Scalar paths are calibrated to produce bit-identical results (including rounding logic in grayscale and thresholding), ensuring deterministic behavior across all devices.
• Sub-millisecond Tracking: Core detection loop is optimized for sub-millisecond execution on standard ARM/x86 hardware.

🚀 Getting Started

Native Rust Example

To see the marker detection in action on your local machine, run the provided simple example:

cargo run --example simple

This example loads a camera parameter file, a marker (pattern or barcode), and a sample image, performing detection and outputting the 3D pose extrinsics.

Barcode Detection Example

A unified, parameterized barcode example is available for testing all supported matrix code types:

# Default: 3x3 matrix code type, auto-sweeps threshold 60–180
cargo run --example barcode

# Specify a matrix code type (e.g. 4x4) and supply the matching marker image
cargo run --example barcode -- -m 4x4 -i crates/core/examples/Data/marker_07_4x4.jpg

# Use a fixed threshold instead of auto-sweeping
cargo run --example barcode -- -m 3x3 -t 100

# Full example: type, threshold, and custom image path
cargo run --example barcode -- -m 5x5 -t 120 -i path/to/marker.jpg

Options:

WebAssembly (WASM) Demo

The WASM port allows you to run the AR engine directly in most modern browsers.

1. Build the modules: Use the npm script to generate both Standard and SIMD bundles (works on all platforms):

   npm run build:wasm
   

   Alternatively, download the pre-built wasm-package artifact from the latest CI run and extract its contents into crates/wasm/pkg/.

2. Run the demo: The www folder contains two web demos. Serve it with any local HTTP server:

   cd crates/wasm/www
   # Serve using any local HTTP server, e.g.:
   npx serve .
   

   • simple.html – static image demo with engine selector and threshold visualization.
   • simple_video_marker_example.html – live webcam demo with engine selector, marker type (pattern/barcode) selector, and threshold slider.

📊 Benchmarking

We maintain a strict performance comparison with the original C library to ensure our Rust port remains competitive.

Detailed SIMD performance results and reproduction steps can be found in the BENCHMARKS.md file.

Running the Comparison

1. Bootstrap the C library:

   cd benchmarks/c_benchmark
   python ../bootstrap.py --bootstrap-file libraries.json
   

2. Execute the Suite:

   # Rust Benchmark
   cargo bench -p webarkitlib-rs --bench marker_bench
   
   # C Benchmark (Manual build required once)
   cd benchmarks/c_benchmark/build
   cmake --build . --config Release
   ./c_benchmark ../../data/camera_para.dat ../../data/patt.hiro ../../data/hiro.raw 429 317
   

Tracking Performance

We use criterion to track performance over time. You can save specific snapshots as "baselines":

# Save a milestone baseline
cargo bench -- --save-baseline milestone-20260307

🏗️ Project Structure

• crates/core: The core AR engine (pure Rust).
• crates/wasm: WASM bindings, dual-build scripts, and diagnostic web demo.
• benchmarks: C vs Rust performance comparison suite.
• examples: Usage demonstrations for patterns and barcodes.
• ARCHITECTURE.md: Detailed technical overview of the library's design and SIMD optimizations.

🗺️ Roadmap

🎯 Near-term Goals (v1.0.0+)

• Enhanced Documentation: Expand API reference, integration walkthroughs for JS/TS, and provide detailed usage examples.
• WASM Memory Management: Improve resource cleanup when switching engines or markers in long-running browser sessions.

🔭 Long-term Vision

• Multi-Marker Support: Port arMulti logic to enable tracking of multiple markers simultaneously.
• KPM/NFT (Natural Feature Tracking): Implement robust tracking of arbitrary images and surfaces.
• Advanced Video Abstraction: Develop a cross-platform video handling layer to simplify integration with various input sources.

📜 Credits

This project is a port of the excellent WebARKitLib project. Special thanks to the original ARToolKit contributors.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the LGPLv3 License - see the LICENSE file for details.