Google Cuts Price of Project Tango by Half

The cost of getting a Project Tango, the tablet that can perform real-time 3D spatial mapping, has been slashed by fifty percent from $1024 to $512. But the offer is an "invitation only" to some selected developers according to an email obtained by Android Police. The email also mentions that Google is "opening sales more broadly," and that this was the last chance for the selected individuals to purchase the reserved devices.

For those not invited, they can still get a developer kit from Google's Project Tango website for the regular price. The tablet development kit, powered by NVIDIA's Tegra K1 processor, comes with a 7" display screen, 4GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, Tegra K1 quad-core processor, motion-tracking cameras, integrated depth sensing, Android KitKat, and LTE. The front-facing camera has a 120-degree viewing angle. The rear camera also has motion-tracking capability with an integrated depth sensor.

Project Tango, Google's 3D-scanning camera, has graduated from the experimental lab and is on its way to the real world. It has been moved out of Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) division and into the company proper. In a Google+ post announcing the move, ATAP said: "After two fast-paced years in ATAP, and many technical successes, the Tango team is transitioning from ATAP to a new home within Google. We're excited about the continued commitment to developing the technology for our users  - we wish our fellow pirates fair winds and following seas."

The move is an indication that the technology could be on its way into consumer devices. Google is said to be working with LG to make a version of the technology that people can buy ready for release some time this year. Software engineers can also make related apps using the Project Tango Development Kit much like Target's augmented reality app to scan shop shelves. As per the project's official page, the technology combines "advanced computer vision, image processing and specialized sensors." Project Tango, says Google, brings a new kind of spatial perception to the Android device platform by adding advanced computer vision, image processing and specialized sensors, tracking the full 3D motion of the device and capturing the shape of the environment in real-time. Its stated goal is to give mobile devices a human-scale understanding of space and motion.