Tango by Google

Search engine giant Google has recently announced about the brand new innovative project, Tango – a smartphone with 3D sensors. The device creates three-dimensional model of the environment, using a compass, gyroscopes and the so-called “computer vision”. The latter is 3D sensor, largely similar to those used in Kinect, the peripheral device by Microsoft. Yet, while Kinect is nothing more than a gaming controller for non-contact gestures project Tango, as per ​​Google, has to develop the idea of ​​augmented reality. The company is interested in the application of this technology in the areas related to three-dimensional maps, indoors navigation, and video games that not enable not virtual, but physical space.

Google provides an example of the use of this technology by an opportunity to calculate the dimensions of the room with a phone’s camera. For example, it may be really useful before buying furniture. It is the mobility of the device that provides developers the freedom to experiment and use the 3D scanning in completely new forms.

For a long time, three-dimensional space scanners were only stationary devices, primarily due to the large power consumption. Kinect, for instance, uses only little more than one Watt. To solve this problem, Google has built into the project Tango an additional processor Myriad 1, developed by Irish startup - Movidius.

The chip is used for processing visual and geo-location data, has a capacity of one teraflop, and consumes only a few hundred milliwatt. Such capacity is enough to calculate not only the size and shape of the room, but алсо every single object in it.

It is also noteworthy that the development unit engaged in project Tango is Advanced Technology and Projects – a part of the former Motorola, and headed by Johnny Lee, who used to work on the creation of the aforementioned Kinect.

Many experts predict great opportunities for this technology in the future. It is known that Movidius is also going to sell its processors to other companies, so it is quite possible that in the near future, mobile 3D scanners will be built into most smartphones. For example, Intel has its own technology, known as Intel Realsense 3D.

Another major of the industry, Apple also has some studios aimed at capturing and processing 3D space, called PrimeSense. It’s interesting to know that PrimeSense was also involved in the creation of Kinect. Thus, M7 processors works in conjunction with the main A7 chip through solutions different from Moviduis, but performing the same tasks.