Project Tango

[Hiatus]

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Google has built a prototype Android smartphone that can learn and map the world around it. The device comes from a new initiative called Project Tango, and it's ready to get the phone into developers' hands to see what the technology is capable of. Google says that the phone will learn the dimension of rooms and spaces just by being moved around inside of them — walking around your bedroom, for example, would help the phone learn the shape of your home. The hope is that by creating a robust map of the world, Google's phone could eventually give precise directions to any given point that needs to be reached.

https://www.theverge.com/2014/2/20/5430784/project-tango-google-prototype-smartphone-announced

The developers want to add support for the Project Tango phone to the Chrome browser.The issue tracker item reveals the phone will feature a a standard 4MP colour backside camera, a 180 degrees Field of View (FOV) Fisheye camera, a depth camera 320×180@5Hz and a front camera with a 120 degree FOV. The latter should have the same field of view as the human eye.

https://www.myce.com/news/android-project-tango-appears-on-chrome-issue-tracker-70842/

What are your overall opinion on this phone? What are some features that you're looking forward to try? How much would you expect this to cost? If or when it does get released, would you consider buying it? If no, then why not?

 

[Euphoric]

That's a pretty cool concept. Of course, that isn't all what people are specifically looking for in their phones. The processor, memory, etc all have to be good. The different cameras are interesting, though.

I'd expect this phone to be $400-500. This would have to get financed somehow, so I don't think it would be that cheap, but they'd certainly have to get people to buy it to actually fulfill the whole purpose of the project so it couldn't be that expensive either.

Don't think I'll buy it though, I don't see myself getting another phone for a while and by the time I do, there will probably be faster and more logical choices.

 

[Burakki Tsuki]

If this was to be used for finding classrooms your first day at university, it would be excellent. Learning my home layout is kind of odd and not too useful at all, at least that I can think of. I don't loose my phone ever unless my couch eats it. I guess when you have more money than one could imagine things like this come about. Would not buy this.

 

[Alexander Nicholi]

The problem I have with this phone is the confidentiality of the data it collects, which as you know is zero. This is a very good idea on paper, but like all ideas of the such it fails to realize the complications that can arise from privacy violations, etc. What if the government or a corporation had the exact layout of your home without ever even having to go to the town you live in? For the police, FBI, and NSA it's a bypass from search warrant laws, since I'd imagine that you'd sign an agreement (knowingly or not) saying you allow Google to take ownership of the data they collect (as they always do), and at that point your information is fair game to anyone.

While it may be useful for the trivials (finding places, getting perspectives of large buildings), it's also a tool for anti-privacy modes conducted by corporations to garner your money and by the government to ensure your obedience. To me it's a court disaster waiting to happen ten years down the road.

 

[Talon]

I think its an ok idea. Google's whole purpose now seems to be making a map of everything that there is. Map map mappity map map map, that's google! I can see a couple problems arising from this. It would make stalking people much easier, all they have to do is look through the camera, and it will map your house to their phone. It could also be used for good, such as tracking down terrorists and the like. But again, it could be used to hurt people. I think if they could find a way to block people looking through the camera, who are not using the phone that that exact camera unit is connected with, it would be great!

The accessibility of that information to other people would be very easy. They could just hack into your phone remotely, and steal files off of it, some of which are nearly guaranteed to hold a view of everywhere you go.

 

[countryemo]

I could see this being really cool with video games, like just move the phone around instead all that extra work. Or like mapping a public building. This is not a consumer phone and to map your house. Jeez.