Google used its annual developers conference, I/O, to provide updates on two projects of its Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) division,
Project Tango and
Project Ara.
Thursday's first big session at
Google I/O 2014 was hosted by the ATAP team, where the group showcased the work it has been doing recently. The group showed off a tablet developed under Project Tango, which gives the device the ability to see the world in 3D.
(Also see:
Google Making 'Project Tango' Tablets With Advanced 3D Vision: Report)
Google also shared the specs of the current generation
Project Tango development kit tablet. The tablet is powered by an Nvidia Tegra K1 processor and comes with 128GB of storage as well as 4GB of RAM. At the head of this device is a 4-megapixel, 2-micron camera, accompanied by a motion-tracking camera with integrated depth sensing.
The company announced that it has multiple partners on-board for the project, including Unity, Unreal, and LG. The Korean company is slated to ship the first Project Tango tablet in 2015, Google confirmed.
Developers can register to receive the $1,024 Project Tango development kit
when it becomes available.
Google's ATAP team has also shared a YouTube video named "Project Tango - Journey," which shows the team's past 18-months of work. The video shows that the Project Tango has collaborated with several robotics laboratories from around the world.
The other big part of the session was Project Ara, Google's attempt at producing modular smartphones. As part of the session, Google booted - or at least tried to boot - a Project Ara smartphone in public for the first time, though the demo wasn't successful.
This shows the challenges in accomplishing the rather ambitious goal that Google has set for itself in trying to make Project Ara phones a reality for end users.
Google also announced a $100,000 prize challenge for third-party developers looking to build Project Ara module of their own.