Virtual Objects Jittering in AR Scenes: Causes, Impacts, and Solutions
Augmented Reality (AR) applications blend virtual content with the real world, creating immersive experiences where digital objects interact with physical environments. However, one of the most common and immersion-breaking issues developers face is virtual object jittering—a subtle or noticeable shaking or instability in the placement of AR content. This jittering undermines realism, distracts users, and may make applications difficult or uncomfortable to use, particularly in precision-focused or motion-intensive experiences.
In this article, we’ll explore what causes virtual objects to jitter in AR scenes, how it affects user experience, and best practices and technologies to reduce or eliminate the issue.
What is Jittering in AR?
Jittering refers to the rapid, unintended movement or shaking of virtual objects in an AR scene. This usually manifests when objects that are supposed to be anchored to a specific position in the real world appear to vibrate, drift, or flicker slightly as the user moves their device or interacts with the environment.
In well-functioning AR systems, virtual objects should remain stable and accurately anchored. Jitter undermines this by making the content appear unstable or disconnected from the physical world.
Common Causes of Jitter in AR
1. Tracking Instability
Most AR platforms (e.g., ARKit, ARCore) use visual-inertial odometry (VIO) to estimate the position and orientation of the camera. When this tracking is not stable, the pose (position + orientation) of the camera slightly fluctuates from frame to frame. These small changes cause virtual objects to appear jittery.
- Solution: Use devices with better IMUs and cameras, or ensure that the environment has enough visual features (textures, patterns) for the tracking system to lock onto.
2. Poor Lighting Conditions
Low-light or high-glare conditions reduce the camera’s ability to detect surfaces and features in the environment, leading to weaker pose estimation.
- Solution: Ensure good, even lighting. Avoid reflective surfaces or environments with minimal visual texture (like empty white walls).
3. Lack of Visual Features in the Environment
AR tracking systems rely on detecting visual features (like edges, corners, or textures) in the environment. In areas with blank surfaces, mirrors, or glass, the tracking may degrade, causing object jitter.
- Solution: Encourage users to scan richer environments or use artificial markers or spatial anchors in feature-poor areas.
4. High Device Movement Speed
Fast camera movement introduces motion blur and latency, making it difficult for the AR system to keep up with real-time tracking. This can result in delayed pose updates and jittery object rendering.
- Solution: Use motion smoothing techniques, or instruct users to move devices more slowly when mapping or placing objects.
5. Incorrect Anchoring or Use of World Space
When virtual objects are not properly anchored to real-world positions (e.g., using screen space or relative transforms instead of spatial anchors), they may appear to “float” or “jitter” based on camera movement.
- Solution: Use world anchors or spatial anchors that maintain the object’s fixed relationship with a point in the real world, regardless of the camera’s position.
6. Sensor Noise
Inaccuracies in data from the inertial measurement unit (IMU)—such as gyroscope and accelerometer noise—can cause jitter when sensor fusion is used for pose estimation.
- Solution: Use sensor fusion filters like Kalman or complementary filters to smooth data and minimize jitter caused by noisy inputs.
7. AR Engine Limitations or Bugs
Sometimes the issue may lie in the underlying AR platform itself—whether it’s Unity, ARKit, ARCore, or Vuforia. Bugs, improper integration, or using outdated SDK versions can lead to instability in tracking or rendering.
- Solution: Regularly update to the latest SDK versions and follow platform-specific best practices.
8. Frame Rate or Performance Bottlenecks
If the AR app is not rendering at a consistent frame rate (e.g., 60fps), virtual objects may not update smoothly in sync with camera movement, causing a visual jitter effect.
- Solution: Profile your app to detect performance bottlenecks. Optimize shaders, reduce unnecessary draw calls, and manage heavy assets efficiently.
9. Multithreading and Rendering Delays
Asynchronous updates between AR tracking and rendering systems can cause slight mismatches in object position. For example, the tracking system updates the pose, but the render loop lags behind.
- Solution: Synchronize pose updates with rendering. Many engines provide thread-safe methods or callbacks for applying pose updates during rendering.
10. Floating Point Precision Issues
At long distances or in large AR scenes, floating-point precision errors may introduce instability in object placement, especially if world origin shifts or is very far from the object.
- Solution: Keep content close to the origin or implement a floating origin system that moves the world around the camera to maintain precision.
Real-World Impact of Jitter in AR
1. Breaks Immersion
Virtual content that doesn’t feel “grounded” damages the illusion of reality that AR strives to create. This can reduce trust in the app and cause users to disengage.
2. User Discomfort
Constant jitter or visual instability can cause visual fatigue or even nausea for sensitive users, especially in prolonged usage scenarios.
3. Impaired Interaction
In AR games or productivity apps, jitter can make it difficult for users to interact accurately with virtual buttons, objects, or tools.
4. Productivity Loss in Industrial/Enterprise AR
In sectors like architecture, engineering, or fieldwork, jitter reduces the accuracy and reliability of AR overlays—potentially causing misinterpretation of critical data.
Techniques to Reduce or Eliminate Jitter
✅ Use World or Spatial Anchors
Anchoring virtual objects to specific locations in the physical world using ARKit’s ARAnchor, ARCore’s Anchor, or cloud anchors helps maintain positional stability even as the user moves around.
✅ Smooth Object Motion with Interpolation
If the tracking system introduces noise, you can smooth the jitter by interpolating object position/rotation between frames.
// Unity example
transform.position = Vector3.Lerp(transform.position, targetPosition, Time.deltaTime * smoothingSpeed);
✅ Use Depth Sensors or LiDAR
Devices like iPad Pro or HoloLens 2 use LiDAR or advanced depth sensors to map environments more accurately, improving tracking and reducing jitter.
✅ Filter Pose Data
Apply smoothing filters such as low-pass filters or Kalman filters to sensor data or camera pose to reduce noise before applying it to object transformations.
✅ Guide Users Through Environmental Scanning
Before placing objects, encourage users to scan the environment thoroughly. This builds a stable map that supports better tracking and anchoring.
✅ Optimize Performance
Maintain a high and stable frame rate to ensure timely updates of tracking and rendering. Reduce CPU/GPU load by optimizing assets, using occlusion culling, and minimizing heavy post-processing.
✅ Hybrid Tracking Systems
Combine marker-based tracking (like QR codes or fiducial markers) with markerless tracking to provide fallback positional references when VIO tracking is weak.
Platform-Specific Tips
For ARCore (Android):
- Use Depth API for improved environmental understanding
- Enable Instant Placement API for quick but less precise object placement, and refine position as tracking improves
For ARKit (iOS):
- Leverage Scene Reconstruction API and LiDAR (if available)
- Use ARWorldMap or ARGeoAnchors to persist spatial anchors
For Unity Developers:
- Use
ARAnchorManagerfor persistent object placement - Profile the app using Unity Profiler to detect frame drops or high CPU usage