Cursor functionality for augmented reality content in messaging systems

A system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory including instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
• detecting, using one or more hardware processors, a location and a position of a representation of a finger in a set of frames captured by a camera of a client device;
• generating, using the one or more hardware processors, a virtual cursor based at least in part on the location and the position of the representation of the finger;
• rendering, using the one or more hardware processors, a grid arrangement of virtual objects within a scene, each virtual object in the grid arrangement being positioned an equidistance amount of space from at least one adjacent virtual object;
• restricting, using the one or more hardware processors, movement of the virtual cursor to a predetermined number of axes of control;
• detecting, using the one or more hardware processors, a collision event between the virtual cursor and a selected virtual object from the grid arrangement based on the restricted movement;
• in response to the collision event, performing, using the one or more hardware processors, a navigation function corresponding to the selected virtual object;
• and
• rendering, using the one or more hardware processors, an updated scene reflecting the performed navigation function.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by a computing device, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:

• detecting, using one or more hardware processors, a location and a position of a representation of a finger in a set of frames captured by a camera of a client device;
• generating, using the one or more hardware processors, a virtual cursor based at least in part on the location and the position of the representation of the finger;
• rendering, using the one or more hardware processors, a grid arrangement of virtual objects within a scene, each virtual object in the grid arrangement being positioned an equidistance amount of space from at least one adjacent virtual object;
• restricting, using the one or more hardware processors, movement of the virtual cursor to a predetermined number of axes of control;
• detecting, using the one or more hardware processors, a collision event between the virtual cursor and a selected virtual object from the grid arrangement based on the restricted movement;
• in response to the collision event, performing, using the one or more hardware processors, a navigation function corresponding to the selected virtual object;
• and
• rendering, using the one or more hardware processors, an updated scene reflecting the performed navigation function.