Google has unveiled Project Tango, a smartphone prototype that is able to sense 3D motion thanks to a built-in chip sensor. The project is open to developers who can request prototype kits to be a part of the initiative.
The specific focus of the prototype smartphone in Tango is 3D motion sensing. For this purpose, Google has included a Myriad 1 vision processor chip by Movidius in it. The chip has immense 3D sensing capabilities, allowing the smartphone in turn to make up to a quarter million 3D measurements every second!
The prototype smartphone is based on Android and packs a 5-inch display. Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) team had been working on it and now that the company has announced it, it will send out developer kits to a select, few individuals who will help realize the different applications of this kind of hardware.
The aim of this handset is to find applications such as immersive gaming, real-time 3D scanning, indoor navigation and more on a mobile handset. For developers, this will require finding new computer vision techniques to truly realize the potential of the 3D sensor in the smartphone.
The first phase of the project includes the shipping of developer kits to a total of 200 individuals. These individuals will then write games and other apps in C, C++ or Java using Unity Game Engines.
According to Johnny Lee, the technical program lead at ATAP who was also the head of the project, ‘Project Tango strives to give mobile devices a human-like understanding of space and motion through advanced sensor fusion and computer vision, enabling new and enhanced types of user experiences – including 3D scanning, indoor navigation and immersive gaming.’
You can check out more details about the project at the official website of Project Tango.
Source: Google Project Tango
Courtesy: TNW
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