Lenovo, Google announce first Project Tango mobile device

Lenovo and Google announced that the Chinese device maker will manufacture the world's first consumer-ready smartphone that features the 3D augmented reality technology that is Project Tango.

The companies said that the handset will be less than 6.5 inches in size and will sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset under the hood. As for the cameras, it will be packed with a depth camera, a fisheye lens and an RGB camera, which will be set vertically to support portrait mode rather than landscape.

Using a mix of cameras and sensors, Project Tango-enabled devices gather data from the environment to build on-screen 3D objects, where they can take a "quarter million" of 3D measurements per second in real time,  according to the Google Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) team.

Lenovo also notes that it can turn a home into a game level of some sort and "create a magic window into virtual and augmented environments. “Project Tango combines 3D motion tracking with depth sensing to give your mobile device the ability to know where it is and how it moves through space," Lenovo says. "With Project Tango, developers can create applications that explore physical space around the user, including precise navigation without GPS, windows into virtual 3D worlds, measurements of spaces and games that know where they are in the room and what's around them."

"With Project Tango, the smartphone becomes a magic window into the physical world by enabling it to perceive space and motion that goes beyond the boundaries of a touch screen. By working with Lenovo, we'll be able to make Project Tango more accessible to users and developers all over the world to both enjoy and create new experiences that blend the virtual and real world."

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