A tablet computer capable of taking 3D images is set to be put into production by Google, according to reports.<\/p>\n
The Wall Street Journal quoted\u00a0sources close to the company as saying a run of 4,000 devices will be manufactured next month.<\/p>\n
The tablet will have two rear-facing cameras and advanced imaging software – and will be shown off at the firm’s forthcoming developers’ conference.<\/p>\n
Google has said it will not comment on “rumour and speculation”.<\/p>\n
But in March, Google showed off Project Tango, an effort to bring 3D technology to its handheld devices. A prototype smartphone had been given out to 200 developers to try out.<\/p>\n
The technology makes use of infrared sensors to measure depth of surroundings.<\/p>\n
While the ability to create 3D images with small devices is by no means a new technological feat, Google’s strategy will be to harness the hardware to contribute to, among other things, its mapping effort.<\/p>\n
For instance, the devices could be used to create quickly a 3D map of indoor environments.<\/p>\n
Virtual reality race<\/strong><\/p>\n According to the Wall Street Journal, the 3D tablet will be shown off at Google’s annual developers’ conference at the end of June.<\/p>\n As it did with the Google Glass eyewear product, it is expected the firm will allow a select number of developers and engineers to experiment with the technology before a consumer launch is planned.<\/p>\n Although still a relatively minor industry, the race to create the “killer app” for building and viewing virtual reality environments is building apace.<\/p>\n In March, Facebook swooped in on a $2bn (\u00a31.2bn) deal for Oculus VR, a company making a virtual reality headset.<\/p>\n A mini-site for Project Tango has highlighted a few of the firm plans\u00a0in the area.<\/p>\n “Project Tango is an attempt to create a mobile device unlike like any other,” the site explains.<\/p>\n “A mobile device that shares our sense of space and movement, that understands and perceives the world the same way we do.”<\/p>\n In the past few years, devices able to view and create 3D images have made it to market, but suffered heavily from a lack of consumer interest, said Jack Kent, an analyst at IHS.<\/p>\n “If Google really pushes it, that might change the dynamics of the market,” he told the BBC.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A tablet computer capable of taking 3D images is set to be put into production by Google, according to reports. The Wall Street Journal quoted\u00a0sources close to the company as saying a run of 4,000 devices will be manufactured next month. The tablet will have two rear-facing cameras and advanced imaging software – and will […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":20534,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[],"tags":[985,362,18],"yoast_head":"\n