Google received a Proggy 2020 award (according to PETA, "Proggy" stands for "progress") for creating a more humane world through the feature which, as the organization notes, allows people to see animals up close without having to visit a zoo or other place where animals are held in captivity. “Captive animals are involuntarily confined for a lifetime with no hope of ever being free,” PETA President Ingrid Newkirk said. For the award, Google will get a framed certificate and vegan chocolate bars.
So far, people can view more than 30 animals - including the latest iteration, an Easter Bunny - as part of Google's AR feature (which, for the record, includes other non-animal objects as well, such as France's Chauvet Cave and Neil Armstrong). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the tiger has been the most searched animal for the program so far, thanks to the popularity of Netflix's "Tiger King." For those who haven't tried the AR feature, it's easy to use: From your Android phone or tablet, go to google.com and search for an animal on the list. Tap "View in 3D" and then click on "View in your space" for a holographic image of the animal.
This story first appeared in Inside XR.