Google 'Project Tango' 2014: New Smartphone Could Revolutionize Technology; What Can It Do?
Are you bored with your smartphone? Well, brace yourselves for the smartphone of the future from Google, known as Project Tango. It will do more than your ordinary smartphone already does. But don't take out your credit or debit card just yet -- it is only a prototype.
Launched just last Thursday, according to PC, an online technology magazine, the device uses space and motion, along with a combination of robotics and computer vision.
Project leader for Project Tango, Johnny Lee, stated the device has a 5-inch-display screen, it has a "Unity Game Engine," and it runs on Android with standard Android applications written in Java and C/C++. While this "tech speak" may confuse some, the most exciting feature is that the device can create a 3-D mapping of a room.
According to the Washington Post, with this 3-D mapping feature, this device can do five things a regular smartphone cannot. Firstly, for avid shoppers, the device can create an indoor map of a store, so that you can find an item easily on the shelf before searching for it. It saves on time.
Secondly, it is great with directions, and not just for the street, for indoors as well. One can get to his or her meetings on time.
Thirdly, the device could pave the way for the visually impaired who can't find an item in a store or their away around it. The device's technology and its implications for helping the visually impaired could benefit a lot of people.
Fourthly, the Project Tango device paired with Google Glass could also be beneficial for firefighters who are trapped or lost in a burning building. The technology which can map a room could save lives.
And finally, the device can help to enhance game playing by making it seem more real.
Some experts feel that Project Tango is ambitious, but the device is still in its testing phase. CNET reported that Google is putting the project in the hands of developers, technology students from across the country, and they have been generally asking people to sign on and get involved in Project Tango. Similarly to what Google did with Google Glass.
Lee stated it best, "The future is awesome. We can build it together."