Google adjusts 3D perception mobile phone project Tango or will develop products

Google has a project called Tango that is working on 3D spatial perception smartphones and devices. Recently, Google officially announced that the project will be transferred from an innovation research department to Google's regular business. According to media analysis, the project may have completed the research phase and will officially develop commercial products.

Tencent Technology learned the news from the official blog of Google ATAP ("Advanced Technology and Projects").

The department said that ATAP's innovative technology projects are characterized by ambitious goals, time limits, and mainly temporary project teams. Therefore, after two years of research and development, the Tango team has made many technological advances and will leave ATAP and find a "new home" within Google.

The department said that for all those who have been using the Tango project development kit to develop application software, Google will continue to promote the Tango project and technology in the future and looks forward to continuing to receive feedback from developers.

Regarding Google's official announcement, the American technology news website "Engaged Technology" interpreted it as a sign that the Tango project has bid farewell to the experimental research stage and will become part of Google's official business and develop commercially viable smart products.

However, it is still unknown what specific products Google will launch in the future with this technology. For example, Google's next generation Nexus smartphone may be equipped with an infrared camera with three-dimensional spatial perception capabilities.

In addition, with the reorganization of the business team, the temporary name of "Tango Project" may disappear in the future and be replaced by a new brand.

In terms of the innovative development of smart devices, the Tango project is similar to Google Glass. Not long ago, Google carried out the largest reorganization of the Google Glass business in history. The team left the Google X department, which is responsible for innovative development, and joined Nest, led by Fadell, the "father of iPod". The project leaders were also adjusted at the same time.

Public opinion generally believes that the Google Glass project, which was previously part of Google X, has been progressing slowly. This adjustment means that the previous project has actually failed, and Google is determined to replace the team and re-develop the smart glasses product.

The Tango project, which was adjusted this time, seems very mysterious to the outside world. According to reports from many foreign media, the core technology of this project is three-dimensional spatial sensing and perception. Relying on this technology, future smartphones and devices will be able to perform functions such as mapping and guiding the blind.

The Tango team has previously said it will release a smartphone prototype to allow external developers to develop applications related to spatial perception.

Johnny Lee, the project leader, once told the media that the Tango project uses technologies related to robotics and visual processing, and the ultimate goal is "to enable mobile devices to perceive space and movement like humans."

Google once introduced on its official website that in the future, if users have a Tango smartphone, they only need to walk around the room a few times to draw an indoor map, making it easier to buy furniture.

In addition, with this phone, people with poor directions will no longer get lost, and visually impaired people can walk freely in unfamiliar buildings. In addition, consumers can also use this technology to find where a certain product is placed in the supermarket.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.