Line 49:
Line 49:
[[Lenovo Phab 2 Pro]] is a smartphone developed by Lenovo in collaboration with Google. It was announced during the Lenovo Tech World 2016 event in San Francisco by Yang Yuanging (Chairman and CEO of Lenovo). It is the first consumer facing product with Google’s Tango included. It is one of three new Lenovo Phab phones that will arrive to the US in 2016, complementing the Lenovo Phab 2 and the Lenovo Phab 2 Plus <ref name=”1”> Gadgets 360 Staff (2016). Lenovo Phab 2 Pro ‘Tango’ Smartphone With 4 Cameras, 6.4-Inch Display Launched. Retrieved from gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/lenovo-phab2-pro-tango-smartphone-with-4-cameras-64-inch-display-launched-847304</ref>.
[[Lenovo Phab 2 Pro]] is a smartphone developed by Lenovo in collaboration with Google. It was announced during the Lenovo Tech World 2016 event in San Francisco by Yang Yuanging (Chairman and CEO of Lenovo). It is the first consumer facing product with Google’s Tango included. It is one of three new Lenovo Phab phones that will arrive to the US in 2016, complementing the Lenovo Phab 2 and the Lenovo Phab 2 Plus <ref name=”1”> Gadgets 360 Staff (2016). Lenovo Phab 2 Pro ‘Tango’ Smartphone With 4 Cameras, 6.4-Inch Display Launched. Retrieved from gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/lenovo-phab2-pro-tango-smartphone-with-4-cameras-64-inch-display-launched-847304</ref>.
−
According to Yang Yuanging, the smartphone is intended to make “AR and VR as pervasive as GPS”, augmenting the world we already live in. To achieve this it will utilize Tango, and make use of an array of cameras, sensors and software to map spaces in three dimensions. Even though it is the first consumer product that will have Tango, it is not the first device that comes with it. The first Tango device was a reference design tablet made by Google for developers. The companies worked together in order to give the Phab 2 Pro a smaller design than a tablet but still able to accommodate all the technology necessary for Tango to function, such as the sensors, cameras and other hardware. The result is a smartphone with a 6.4-inch Quad HD screen. It can be describe as a phablet since it is almost a small tablet in terms of size <ref name=”2”> Gokey, M. (2016). Hands On: Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. Retrieved from www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/lenovo-phab-plus-pro-hands-on/</ref><ref name=”3”> Holly, R. (2016). Lenovo PHAB 2 Pro Tango preview: Consider Our Minds Blown. Retrieved from www.androidcentral.com/lenovo-phab-2-pro-early-look-consider-our-minds-blown</ref>.
+
According to Yang Yuanging, the smartphone is intended to make “AR and VR as pervasive as GPS”, augmenting the world we already live in. To achieve this it will utilize Tango, and make use of an array of cameras, sensors and software to map spaces in three dimensions. Even though it is the first consumer product that will have Tango, it is not the first gadget that comes with it. The first Tango gadget was a reference design tablet made by Google for developers. The companies worked together in order to give the Phab 2 Pro a smaller design than a tablet but still able to accommodate all the technology necessary for Tango to function, such as the sensors, cameras and other hardware. The result is a smartphone with a 6.4-inch Quad HD screen. It can be describe as a phablet since it is almost a small tablet in terms of size <ref name=”2”> Gokey, M. (2016). Hands On: Lenovo Phab 2 Pro. Retrieved from www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/lenovo-phab-plus-pro-hands-on/</ref><ref name=”3”> Holly, R. (2016). Lenovo PHAB 2 Pro Tango preview: Consider Our Minds Blown. Retrieved from www.androidcentral.com/lenovo-phab-2-pro-early-look-consider-our-minds-blown</ref>.
It has to be noted that the smart camera technology isn’t exclusive to Tango. There’s Intel’s 3D RealSense cameras that can also track depth and Microsoft´s positional-tracking technology in the Kinect and HoloLens, for example. Smarter cameras could be doorways into a new future, allowing face and object recognition, auto-navigation, and advanced augmented reality (AR) applications <ref name=”4”> CNET (2016). Lenovo Phab2 Pro: World’s First Google Tango Phone Could be The Key to Mind-Blowing Indoor Maps. Retrieved from www.cnet.com/products/lenovo-phab-2-pro/</ref>.
It has to be noted that the smart camera technology isn’t exclusive to Tango. There’s Intel’s 3D RealSense cameras that can also track depth and Microsoft´s positional-tracking technology in the Kinect and HoloLens, for example. Smarter cameras could be doorways into a new future, allowing face and object recognition, auto-navigation, and advanced augmented reality (AR) applications <ref name=”4”> CNET (2016). Lenovo Phab2 Pro: World’s First Google Tango Phone Could be The Key to Mind-Blowing Indoor Maps. Retrieved from www.cnet.com/products/lenovo-phab-2-pro/</ref>.
Line 59:
Line 59:
Tango has been in development for several years, as a way to not only measure distances in 3D space but also map building interiors – including the location of doors and windows - and create augmented reality, superimposing virtual elements into real space. Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, besides being the first ready-to-buy Tango phone, is also the first Lenovo phone to be sold in the US, where the company is best known for selling laptops <ref name=”4”></ref><ref name=”6”> Associated Press (2016). Lenovo, Google Unveil Phab 2 Pro: A Phone That Knows Its Way Around a Room. Retrieved from gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/features/lenovo-google-unveil-phab-2-pro-a-phone-that-knows-its-way-around-a-room-847462</ref>. Viewing the surroundings from the onboard camera of the Phab 2 Pro, there will be inserted a myriad of virtual elements like dinosaurs, dominoes, or appliances into the physical space, depending on the specific nature of the app. These can be interacted with through the phone’s screen <ref name=”2”></ref>. During the development of Tango, when it was in a developer kit tablet, it was used to test various experimental ideas. Its main skills are depth-sensing, location-mapping, and placing virtual objects into reality with a better sense of accuracy <ref name=”4”></ref>. To create the AR experience, the smartphone relies mainly on motion tracking, depth perception and area learning <ref name=”5”></ref>.
Tango has been in development for several years, as a way to not only measure distances in 3D space but also map building interiors – including the location of doors and windows - and create augmented reality, superimposing virtual elements into real space. Lenovo Phab 2 Pro, besides being the first ready-to-buy Tango phone, is also the first Lenovo phone to be sold in the US, where the company is best known for selling laptops <ref name=”4”></ref><ref name=”6”> Associated Press (2016). Lenovo, Google Unveil Phab 2 Pro: A Phone That Knows Its Way Around a Room. Retrieved from gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/features/lenovo-google-unveil-phab-2-pro-a-phone-that-knows-its-way-around-a-room-847462</ref>. Viewing the surroundings from the onboard camera of the Phab 2 Pro, there will be inserted a myriad of virtual elements like dinosaurs, dominoes, or appliances into the physical space, depending on the specific nature of the app. These can be interacted with through the phone’s screen <ref name=”2”></ref>. During the development of Tango, when it was in a developer kit tablet, it was used to test various experimental ideas. Its main skills are depth-sensing, location-mapping, and placing virtual objects into reality with a better sense of accuracy <ref name=”4”></ref>. To create the AR experience, the smartphone relies mainly on motion tracking, depth perception and area learning <ref name=”5”></ref>.
−
Tango can be considered a crucial step in the new frontier of AR, being able to create internal maps of homes and offices on the fly, without Google needing to build a previous mapping database, like Google Maps or Street View. With Tango being integrated in a device that normally people have with them all the time – without the need of wearing a headset - it could become pervasive, although the capacities of this technology have raised concerns about privacy <ref name=”6”></ref>. Google hopes to have several other partners during the next years that will included Tango <ref name=”3”></ref>.
+
Tango can be considered a crucial step in the new frontier of AR, being able to create internal maps of homes and offices on the fly, without Google needing to build a previous mapping database, like Google Maps or Street View. With Tango being integrated in a gadget that normally people have with them all the time – without the need of wearing a headset - it could become pervasive, although the capacities of this technology have raised concerns about privacy <ref name=”6”></ref>. Google hopes to have several other partners during the next years that will included Tango <ref name=”3”></ref>.
==Augmented reality and applications==
==Augmented reality and applications==