Google has been working long on a project to build an understanding of space and motion on mobile devices. The team developing the project Google ATAP (Advanced Technology and Project) has been transferred back to Google following the Lenovo acquisition of Motorola Mobility.
The Google ATAP team is ready with project Tango and it is available on Google Play Store in select countries. The ATAP describes the project, "As we walk through our daily lives, we use visual cues to navigate and understand the world around us. We observe the size and shape of objects and rooms, and we learn their position and layout almost effortlessly over time. This awareness of space and motion is fundamental to the way we interact with our environment and each other. We are physical beings that live in a 3D world. Yet, our mobile devices assume that physical world ends at the boundaries of the screen."
Google is currently working with several research labs, universities and industrial partners of nine countries across the world to build an Android smartphone like device with an ability to create a 3D model of the environment around it.
Google has rolled out these devices via Google Play Store with a selective availability. Though, India is not on the list yet, let's check the features and capability of this device.
With a screen dimension of 7.02-inch HD and IPS display of 1900 x 1200 pixels resolution at 323 pixels per inch, the Project Tango measures 119.77 x 196.33 x 15.36 mm and weighs just 370g. For extra protection for the screen Google Project Tango's display has a scratch-resistant Corning Glass. Though the device looks identical to most 7-inch Android tablets, the device carries an alien spacecraft design in the rear.
Powered by a NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor with 192 CUDA cores, the Project Tango tablet features 4GB worth Ram and 128GB of internal storage. The Android is backed up by NFC and Dual Band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz), WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n, GPS and infrared depth sensors.
Project Tango tablet also features dual audio stereo speakers and 3.5mm audio port for multimedia enhancement. With a 4MP 2µm RGB-IR pixel sensor camera at the back, the Android tablet also features a 1MP front facing camera with IR LED.
Based on Android Kitkat 4.4.2 OS, the Project Tango Android tablet is powered by a 4960 mAh battery and retails at $1024.
Currently, the device can only be purchased through Google Play Store. So, if you are a developer and want to contribute some innovation to the future, do check whether it's available in your country.
