Project Tango from Google, or a new perception of the world?

At the next Google iO conference, which was held this year on May 19 in California, the company's developers devoted maximum time to the acclaimed Tango project, which is designed to radically change the usual understanding of the surrounding space.



What is the uniqueness of technology and how can it be interesting to each of us? In today's article we will conduct a brief overview of the main functionality of the product.

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Calling virtual reality a component of the future is no longer relevant. From day to day it is so densely interspersed with our everyday life that it becomes an integral part of it. And the technology of augmented reality for mobile devices, on which Google has been working for three years, is a clear confirmation of this. In fact, this is the “fusion” of two modern trends of the millennial generation - virtual reality and mobile - that takes mobile device users to a new level. What does this innovation promise us?



According to the developers, the new smartphone Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, created in the framework of the project Tango, has an improved system for recognizing the surrounding world, converting three-dimensional objects into virtual units. The device was created in collaboration with the Google Advanced Technologies and Products department and is equipped with a dual camera, a depth sensor and a motion capture sensor that scans a three-dimensional space with a frequency of 250,000 times a second. In fact, this should be a unique 3D solution in the field of virtual reality modeling directly on a smartphone using special Android applications and a special camera system using fish-eye technology.



Google technical director Johnny Lee believes that Project Tango technologies change the very principle of perception of the world around by devices, and, as a result, the principle of our interaction with the outside world using a smartphone or tablet. “Project Tango is another big step towards streamlining the collection and processing of spatial information , ” stresses Johnny.



To date, you can find a fairly extensive list of applications designed for devices that support Project Tango. But we will pay attention to the functionality that developers consider the key and most useful for the mass user.



At the core of Project Tango are three key technologies:



Motion tracking - allows Phab 2 Pro (which is developed in the framework of the same project) to determine its location in three-dimensional space;



The study of the environment - transmits the data to the phablet about its current position;



Perception of the “depth” of space - allows the phablet to analyze the world around her by detecting various surfaces and objects.



The application allows you to broadcast 3D-models to the surrounding space on the screen of a mobile device, organically “weaving” virtual reality into the current one. It “monitors” the setting on which a special fish-eye-camera is aimed and creates 3D projections.



Perception of “depth” of space



Special application allows you to measure the distance between objects. When you hover the camera of a mobile device on the surrounding objects, a green circle appears on its screen with a dot in the middle.







With such points you can mark the borders of objects and measure distances as usual with all rulers. This function is primarily intended to assist in the repair and rearrangement of the premises. You can easily measure the perimeter of the windows, calculate the parameters of the furniture, measure the length and width of the table, find out how much space you have for choosing the appropriate dimensions of a dishwasher or washing machine, etc. You can save a picture with digital data about the size of objects in your apartment in the gallery on your mobile device and use them at the right time, for example, when you visit an online store.



Richard Moltsbarger, Lowe's Store Development Director:



“Project Tango technology provides a unique opportunity to understand and see how ideas for repairing or reworking a house will look like in reality. We have developed an application for PHAB2 Pro, because we want to teach people to use all the features of the Tango tool. ”



By the way, about online stores . Google developers paid special attention to this item. PHAB2 Pro has a special application called Lowes Vision, which allows you to select the item you like online and “try on” it in your living space in real size. For example, you need to choose chairs in the living room. You choose a product and “put” it in your room, directing the camera of the mobile device to the right place. Done! Now you can estimate how this chair fits to the color of the wallpaper, the style of the interior, or calculate how many chairs fit into your “square meters”.







Or you need to choose a beautiful designer lamp. Question a couple of clicks. You also choose it and put it on your favorite place - a coffee table or a bedside table. In fact, this is a 3D-modeling of the interior in your smartphone, without “intermediaries”.



Games



Another function of the application Tango, which will please the inveterate "gamers" who are bored with network video games, is a virtual "shooter".







A mobile device with an application is connected to a special toy machine, after which the user shoots at virtual targets that appear in the air as a projection onto the space surrounding you. During such an interactive, you can move anywhere, without limiting the playing space.



Virtual Museum Guide



At the conference, Johnny Lee hit the audience with a demonstration of dinosaurs in 3D, projected onto the stage space. It was about a special application through which you can attend virtual tours of museums. You go to the catalog of the museum's application, select the exhibit you are interested in (for example, a dinosaur) and with one click on the smartphone screen integrate its 3D model into the surrounding space. In parallel, you can get additional information about the physical characteristics of the reptile, change the size of the dinosaur (which is indicated as a percentage of its actual size), and increase it to make the presentation as realistic as possible.







And, attention for ardent fans of self, you can “take a picture” with a dinosaur and save the image in the gallery, then with self-respect publish it in your social network.



The main motto of Google, which was a “red thread” throughout the whole presentation of Project Tango: “ We are looking for those who want to build the future with us” .



How much this statement corresponds to the real state of things - everyone decides for himself. How much the declared functions will be used by average users is also in question. This data will be available to a wide audience only over time. Now we can only summarize that the idea of ​​Google developers is really unique and can have quite large prospects in the future.



For example, it is impossible not to note two possible social benefits from the use of Project Tango applications - assistance in orientation in space for people with disabilities and the precise definition by the rescue services of the geo-location of people caught in the incident.



And what do you think about the Tango project?







BYYD • Mobile Advertising Platform