Published on May 19, 2017
Updated on Dec 30, 2019
Day 2 of Google I/O 2017 has completed. We’ve got all of the details on day 2 rounded up just in case you happened to miss anything. Mostly Keynote speech and bigger announcements happened on the first day.
There were multiple tracks on the second Day of I/O and we chose to focus on the AR/VR related topics.
Google is working on the whole spectrum on Reality as we know. From Real world problem solutions to using AR for enhancing real world environments and VR to complete virtual experience of the real world.
Google Tango
This is a very interesting project building on the AR capabilities for Smartphones. Google calls it WorldSense. It uses SLAM( Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping). The smartphone AR powered by Tango has Depth sensing, wide angle tracking camera and relocalisation capabilities. This allows greater capabilities for AR/VR developers. This technology can provide you with directions indoors and combined with AR, it can also create things which aren’t there.
Expeditions AR
This is the new version of the earlier Expeditions VR experience Google launched a few years ago. It is powered by the virtual positioning system. The VPS you to navigate through a store with the help of Tango — combined with image recognition systems that can track where you are. It enhances the interaction with the real world with low latencies. Developers can also build these AR Expeditions.
Daydream
Google calls its VR program, Daydream. Daydream 2.0, Euphrates, comes with support for standalone headsets.
In Euphrates, the focus is on standalone support and sharing the VR experience. Three important features showcased are
- Software support for standalone headsets
- Making VR content front and centre
- Making it easy to share your VR exp
Some Google VR capable devices are already available in the market from ASUS, Motrola with some more slated to come from Samsung.
VR/AR developer tools
Google announced new tools to take advantage of the new platforms.
Instant Preview –
Allows Faster iteration — Google wants to speed up iteration times for building VR apps. With Instant Preview, which is deeply integrated into the editor and mobile device, developers can now make changes and see them in VR right away. No need to wait minutes to recompile an application.
Immersive web —
WebVR , brings the full Chrome browser to VR, using the Daydream controller. Google is also building WebAR into the browser. That way, you can preview what a new coffee table would look like on your phone — and it would know what actually fits between your couch and table.
Seurat for High fidelity graphics—
What you can render in real time depends on the amount of power you have available.” On mobile, you can’t get desktop-quality graphics. A new tool for simplifying 3D scenes so they still look great but only need a little bit of rendering power compared to the full scene. It will bring cinema level quality to desktop graphics.
For more updates, stay tuned for Day 3.
Knowledge thats worth delivered in your inbox
