Image: Google Developers via AFP Relaxnews
Google has officially called time on its Project Tango augmented reality initiative, which shuts down March 1, 2018, to make way for the latest version of its ARCore developers’ kit. The aim is to bring this technology to future devices running Google’s Android mobile operating system.
Project Tango, launched by Google in 2014, allows developers to combine virtual reality content with real-world environments using motion sensors in dedicated devices. Its first concrete realization came in 2016 with Lenovo’s Phab 2 Pro smartphone, integrating Tango technology, allowing users to visualize new furniture or décor items in their homes, for example. The same year, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group was the first to use Tango in a professional context, allowing its customers to discover new models in an original way.
With the ARCore developers’ kit, the focus is on creating mixed reality applications that principally make use of the mobile device’s camera. It is currently supported by the entire Google Pixel range, the Samsung Galaxy S8, S8+ and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. Other devices should follow soon, bringing the technology to a wider audience. In its most recent version, ARCore notably improves the precision of anchor points and allows AR sessions to be paused (to take a call for example) and resumed without losing data.
Google promises ARCore compatibility for more than 100 million devices worldwide in the coming months, with an app offer set to grow quickly via Google Play. In fact, ARCore looks increasingly like a Google equivalent to Apple’s ARKit. JB
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