A while back, Google published a sneak peek at an inventive new prototype tablet capable of recognizing and mapping objects in three dimensions. Code named "Project Tango," it was widely believed the tablet was being developed with developers in mind. Google may have larger ambitions for the device, however, as the development kit was listed on the Google Play Store yesterday (available in two colors!).
In it’s current iteration, Tango is a 7-inch Android-powered tablet with with 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage space, and support for WiFi and NFC. A NVIDIA Tegra K1 processor drive a motion sensing, depth sensing camera integrated into the back of the device. The stated goal of the project is “to give mobile devices a human-scale understanding of space and motion.” One may liken the technology to Microsoft's Kinect peripheral for Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Google is also working on a Project Tango smartphone, for which developers may request a development unit.
According to its listing, Tango currently has a price tag of $1,024. That doesn't mean it's for sale just yet. Tango is still a prototype after all; third party developers and companies are only just discovering what exactly the technology is capable of. It will be interesting enough to see what that population will do with the device, never mind what consumers would need to for.
The first application to come to mind is the video game industry. Virtual reality isn't a new concept in gaming, but the technology is finally becoming such that it is accessible and—more importantly—convincing. Startups like the Oculus VR and even major corporations such as Sony are investing a lot of time and money to develop VR for home use. Tango, while not exclusively a wearable headset, could easily be strapped to one's head, allowing the user to explore 3D areas and worlds.
Is Google jumping the gun? They need to tread lightly with Tango if they plan to sell direct-to-consumer. Google Glass the company's groundbreaking futuristic wearable, has been available worldwide for some time now, but has arguably failed to resonate with consumers.
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