Augmented Reality (AR) Ad Blocker

Block real-world advertisements using augmented reality.
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Table of Contents

1. About The Project
2. Built With
3. Getting Started
4. Usage
5. License
6. Contact
7. Acknowledgments

About The Project

Augmented Reality (AR) Ad Blocker is an Android application that uses augmented reality and machine learning to detect and block real-world advertisements in real-time. When you point your phone's camera at billboards, posters, or other advertisements, the app automatically overlays them with a 3D stop sign (🚫), effectively "blocking" them from your view. The app integrates Unity's AR Foundation framework with a custom-trained YOLOv8 object detection model, executed on-device using Unity Sentis for inference.

Welcome Screen	Ad Blocker Screen

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Built With

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Getting Started

Prerequisites

Before you begin, ensure you have the following installed:

• Unity Hub with Unity Editor 2022.3 LTS

  Download from: https://unity.com/download
  

• Android SDK (API Level 24 or higher)
• Android device with ARCore support

  Check compatibility: https://developers.google.com/ar/devices
  

• Git for cloning the repository

Installation

1. Clone the repository

   git clone https://github.com/vijethph/augmented-reality-adblocker.git
   cd augmented-reality-adblocker

2. Open project in Unity

   • Launch Unity Hub
   • Click "Open" and select the cloned project folder
   • Unity will automatically import all required packages

3. Configure Android Build Settings

   • Go to File > Build Settings
   • Select Android platform
   • Click Switch Platform
   • Go to Player Settings > Other Settings
   • Set Minimum API Level to Android 7.0 (API Level 24)
   • Remove Vulkan from Graphics APIs (use OpenGLES3 only)
   • Set Scripting Backend to IL2CPP
   • Enable ARM64 architecture

4. Install Required Packages (if not auto-installed)

   • Open Window > Package Manager
   • Install the following packages:
     • AR Foundation (5.x)
     • ARCore XR Plugin
     • Unity Sentis (2.1 or later)
     • Input System
     • TextMeshPro

5. Build and Deploy

   • Connect your Android device via USB
   • Enable USB Debugging on your device
   • Go to File > Build Settings
   • Click Build and Run

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Usage

Running the App

1. Launch the application on your Android device
2. Welcome Screen appears with app instructions
3. Click the info button (ℹ) to view detailed usage instructions
4. Tap START to begin the AR experience

Detecting Advertisements

1. Point your camera at real-world advertisements (billboards, posters, signs)
2. Hold steady for optimal detection (processes every 0.5 seconds)
3. Watch as red prohibition signs automatically appear over detected ads
4. Move around - the 3D overlay stays anchored to the advertisement

License

Distributed under the Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE file for more information.

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Contact

Vijeth P H

• GitHub: @vijethph
• Project Link: https://github.com/vijethph/augmented-reality-adblocker

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Acknowledgments

• Unity AR Foundation Documentation
• Unity Sentis Documentation
• Ultralytics YOLOv8
• Roboflow - Computer Vision Platform
• Blender 3D Creation Suite
• ARCore by Google
• Best-README-Template
• Inspired by real AR ad-blocking prototypes showcased on Reddit

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