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System concept art, showing a live 3D map in progress (via Google)
Innovative powerhouse Google recently announced that it is in the early stages of bringing the world a smart phone with 3D mapping capabilities, opening the door to interactive games for smart phones and apps to aid the vision impaired.
The new project, called “Project Tango,” seeks to build a smart phone with a standard 4-megapixel camera, RGB and IR sensor, Myriad 1 energy efficient, computer-vision processor and a second, lower-resolution camera for image tracking. The technology enables the smart phone to “see” the world similarly to the human eye, including depth perception and overall spatial awareness.
The phone is being developed as a platform for developers and Google recently gave out 200 prototypes to developers to see what happens. The device comes programmed with a distance heat map to showcase depth perception, which may be ideal for the vision impaired, and 3D mapping capabilities, using the device’s gyroscopes and motion sensors. The device can also show a user a 3D simulation of their environment, in real-time.
The 3D mapping smart phone is not expected to carry an energy or battery life penalty.. It is constructed in a similar fashion as NASA’s Exploration Rover, which used its 3D mapping capabilities to create a map of the surface of Mars, except it’s handheld and fits in your back pocket.
There’s no news yet on when the phone will be available on the market, but the developers are working on apps for the new technology now. Some estimate the phone could replace walking sticks for the seeing impaired, allow for the playing of handheld 3D games and turn Google Maps into a 3D world. The possibilities are endless and the only limitation on the product’s use is the developers’ imagination. Kudos Google, you’ve done it again.
Physical prototype and real world test.... (via Google & Technibob)
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