Google's Project Tango: Old Ideas, New Packaging

It’s fun to watch everyone gushing about and heaping praise on Google's Project Tango, the world’s first 3D-mapping smartphone. The phone looks so unusual and the images it displays are otherworldly.

Personally, I’m not that impressed — yet.

As soon as I saw Google's video (below), I recognized the familiar look of the 3D mesh mapping system, most likely based on infrared or near infrared image capture technology. The Tango video even shows off the board responsible for the 3D image capture. It reminded me of the pencil-thin Capri 3D sensor I saw at CES in 2013. It’s not the same board, mind you. Capri came from PrimeSense, the company also responsible for Microsoft’s early Kinect sensor tech and now owned by Apple, which pretty much rules out a collaboration with Google. Read more...