Augmented reality company Metaio is releasing a free version of its mobile development tools for iOS and Android, offering access to technology it says “already powers the world’s most advanced AR browser and over 70 applications, driving more than 10 million downloads.”

According to the company, the Metaio Mobile SDK offers “patented gravity-awareness and award winning visual tracking technology for 2D and 3D objects, now three times more robust than the previous version.”  

It is also said to be the first mobile developer kit to enable gravity-aware AR experiences and the only kit that includes a 3D rendering engine, making it the first “truly free” AR SDK available.

The company said that these features, alongside its “ongoing devotion to research and development,” will mean that its AR experiences are “more natural, more intuitive and more realistic.”

For more demanding developers, a Pro version of the SDK will be made available in the coming months. This will include additional advanced features, greater customisation potential, and direct support from the Metaio development team.

In addition, proven developers of professional AR applications using the tools can register to become Certified Developers, “giving them direct access to business offers and opportunities through the Metaio network.”

Metaio also said it has presented “a clear roadmap” toward having AR support on every smartphone by 2014, including working with chipset manufacturers to optimise its software for mobile devices. The company has formal partnerships in place with ARM, ST-Ericsson and TI.