2016 (also for 3D configurators) was a great year for Augmented Reality (AR). Pokemon Go fought its way into public consciousness, Apple`s Tim Cook can`t stop talking about the future potential of AR and Google has developed a new software offering that promises to take implementation to a whole level. I`m talking about Google`s Tango project, a mobile platform that combines specialized software with a camera and a laser system to achieve Machine Vision, whoch enables a device to read and understand physical space.
In the following video you will find an official introduction to Tango by Google Developer:
Tango`s spatial imagination opens the door to a whole new way of experiencing digital content and developers are already using the platform for new applications. A developer kit has been available for some time and early applications have used Tango-equipped devices to accurately measure rooms, superimpose 3D characters in dynamic environments and create digital homes where real furniture is exchanged for 3D products in Realtime.
Are you excited about Tango?
Why should developers be excited about Tango now? Eric Johnson, Head of Business Development for Project Tango, said, “people were aware of Tango, but now that it`s real and real hardware is coming, many developers are burning to build something in that direction. The first hardware built for Tango is the Lenovo Phab 2 Pro.
Early reviews support Google`s hype. “The smartphone could trigger a revolution,” reports Tech Radar in his early version of the Phab 2 Pro. The Phab 2 was released in November 2016 and it look like it`s just the first in a long line of devices to be baked in AR technology at the hardware level. The industry will be learning and preparing for further developments in the best possible way.
Tango apps have been available for some time.
At the AT&T Shape Conference 2016, the company demonstrated a cross-platform multi-user AR-VR system that demonstrates how remote AR and VR systems can enable new forms of telepresence. The demo included a variety of features highlighting social interaction, entertainment viewing and collaborative work capabilities. The system supported three people with a Tango tablet, a desktop PC and an HTC Vive headset. Although each user was on a different platform, they were able to interact within a common virtual environment. Since the Tango tablet was able to capture its position and orientation in the real world, the tab allowed users to physically walk in the virtual world viewed through the screen. Using touch screen control, the Tango user could capture objects, draw in the virtual world and interact with desktop PC avatars and HTC vive users.
AT&T also demonstrated a Tango AR mode in which objects from the shared virtual environment can be placed and viewed in the real world. A major advantage of a spatially conscious handheld device like the Tango Tablet is that it provides an accessible form of AR and VR that could be particularly useful when wearing a headset.
Are you curious what will still be possible with Tango in the future? Then take a look at Google`s Tango Explorer, which demonstrates the core functionality of the platform. Explorer allows the user to visualize the movement of the device in 3D, learn and load the description files, see the point cloud captured by the depth sensor, view the underlying data in diagnostic mode, which provides developers with the underlying numbers from the Tango APIs.
The Tango Cube Mover application is intended as a proof of concept for first-person gaming, but far from the modern Call of Duty experience. In Cube Mover, the player tries to unlock secret dice shooting areas as quickly as possible by linking colored dice to the corresponding buttons. Virtual hands interact with a cube and place it on platforms to press the head. The game is played at least partially in physical space, with the player manipulating the cube around the virtual environment by moving the tango through the real one.
There are also tango apps that go beyond the proof of concept phase. One is Measureit, with which the user can measure real objects and distances by simply pointing at a target with a tango-equipped device an tapping on point that indicate the edges. Another application from this world is the Solar Simulator, which allows tango users to stroll through the stars through the magic of augmented reality. There are also company links where the eCommerce retailer EayFair introduces an application that uses Tango`s powerful software to allow users to preview 3D versions of real products in any room of their home.
How to get started with Tango.
Developers interested in experimenting with Tango can start downloading the SDK directly from Google Developer page. Tango offers APIs in C and Java, an SDK for Unity and Google`s developer site offers a wealth of information and downloads as well as a selection of demos presented with the specific intention of inspiring developers to do innovative things with the platform.
The applications being developed are truly amazing, from endless shopping in stores to supporting B2B sales.
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