Google Shows Off Projects Tango And Ara At I/O 2014
Google saved the best for last. Coming soon from the search giant: a 3-D scanning tablet and a modular phone platform.
By Sadho Ram — 27 Jun 2014, 03:39 PM — Updated about 10 years ago
Speaking at Google I/O, the technical lead for Project Ara, Paul Eremenko, showed off the progress his team has made since we saw the early prototypes in April
He showed off a functional, form-factor prototype. Which is a nerdy way of saying that for the first time publicly, we saw a modular Ara phone power on. It took its sweet time, but after several rounds of supportive applause from the audience, it booted. And froze.
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But over the course of the session, the team kept at it to get it past the boot screen (though to no avail). So not the most successful demonstration, but enough to show progress.
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Eremenko also announced a challenge for developers
A $100,000 prize for a working module that lets a phone do something that a phone has never done before, along with a trip to Ara's next developer conference.
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He took on the critics of Project Ara who say that it's not possible to make a modular phone that people actually want
"We started by turning statements like 'it's impossible' into numbers," he said.
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By quantifying the exact things that would make it difficult, his team was able to better tackle the problem. The technical problems are many, and the Ara group is investigating new ways to solve them.
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One of them are "novel" ways to handle the data transfer from the modules to the body, using capacitive interconnects and other new connectors. He also noted that Android will need "changes" to support modularity, and that it will be a "stress test" of the operating system to see if it's flexible enough to allow it.
mashable.com
Eremenko also imagined possible modules, like a key fob for your car, an expensive camera that different people would be able to share with each other, and night-vision modules
Ara is also investigating new battery technology that's much more powerful (though with a shorter overall lifecycle) than standard batteries. We also saw potential new module shells, which give the phones their designs. They're made with a 3D printer that prints at 50 times the speed of a normal 3D printer.
theverge.com
The mood in Thursday's breakout session was more festive than Wednesday's keynote, offering a closer look at some of Google's more consumer-facing projects. Dugan helped set the mood with her opening remarks: "We're a small band of pirates trying to do epic sh*t," she said. A developer preview device should be available in the fall.
mashable.com
Meanwhile, during the second day of its 2014 Google I/O, the search giant also shared that the first commercial Project Tango device, an LG-built tablet, will arrive in 2015
Project Tango head Johnny Lee started off the session with an onstage demo, showing off the technology that uses multiple cameras to create 3D renderings by weaving together depth and location information.
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Tango was first unveiled on a smartphone in February, and Google rolled out a tablet version earlier this month
Lee showed off the tablet, which was also on display for passerby throughout the conference. He received a hearty round of applause when he generated a 3D replica of the stage in real time using Tango's depth cameras.
mashable.com
He also demonstrated a few games on the device, and at one point crouched to his knees to interact with a small virtual wizard on the screen. Developers will be able to buy the tablet — and with it begin to build their own apps on the technology — later this year.
techradar.com
Despite its early stage, Tango is one of the "more mature" projects at ATAP, according to Regina Dugan, the division's VP for engineering
ATAP, which is just over two years old, has 11 projects underway, including the highly regarded projects Tango and Ara which generated the majority of excitement at one of the conference's most jam-packed breakout sessions.
mashable.com
One of the projects still a ways off is Project Ara, Google's foray into modular cellphone technology. The ultimate goal is to give users the ability to build their perfect phone, piece by piece, by making the phone features à la carte. If you want a great camera, you can splurge for one. If you prefer longer battery life instead, you can take that route.
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