One of Google's desires is for Android to be an operating system ready to take on multiple roles. In terms of consumption it is doing an excellent job, and its productive potential has gained a lot of ground, but the next item on its list is the execution of advanced content. While Google Daydream wants to handle virtual reality, the new ARCore platform seeks to make augmented reality a common resource on millions of compatible mobile devices.
I imagine our readers are asking themselves, "What happened to Project Tango?" Let's recall: Its original announcement dates back to June 2014, and it took two and a half years to see the first smartphone based on that technology, courtesy of Lenovo. The problem is that introducing new hardware doesn't solve the software deficit, and all manufacturers know this (Tango barely had three smartphones and one tablet under its wing). As if that weren't enough, Apple kicked the board by announcing last June its ARKit platform for developers, which will essentially enable apps with augmented reality on millions of iPhones under iOS 11. Faced with that possibility, Google must place itself at the same level as its opponent, and so we arrive at ARCore.
From a certain point of view, ARCore can be interpreted as a simpler (and less precise) variant of Tango, but that's not a bad thing. After all, Google already has the technology, and understands what the biggest obstacles are. The advantage of ARCore is that it leaves aside the high hardware requirements, and should work with any smartphone capable of running Android 7.0 Nougat or higher. Its preview is limited to the Samsung Galaxy S8 and the Google Pixel, but Mountain View wants to see ARCore working on "millions" of devices before the testing phase ends.
ARCore is compatible with Java/OpenGL, Unity and Unreal, emphasizing parameters such as motion tracking, environment understanding (i.e., surface detection), and light estimation. Google also enabled a portal with experiments for interested parties to see up close the potential of ARCore. Do you think it will be useful? The comments are open.
