Google describes Project Tango as something that gives “mobile devices a human-scale understand of space and motion.”
Essentially, sensors in a Project Tango tablet can track the user’s body movements. Usually, virtual reality headsets “are dependent on external technology — in the case of Oculus, the headset is tethered to a PC, while the Vive requires special ‘lighthouse’ base stations that use lasers to scan your immediate environment.” This reliance poses limitations. Project Tango tablets can “read” the environment around the user.
“The spokesperson said that Tango wasn’t really optimized for VR — they can’t squeeze enough horsepower out of the tablet to make it render images fast enough without a noticeable lag, so an Oculus Rift or HTC Vive headset will always deliver better performance.
Project Tango is far enough along that it’s graduated from Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) research lab into Google proper. Developers can buy a preview version of a Tango tablet for $512, but there’s still no word on when or how consumers will be able to take advantage of this new technology.
It seems unlikely that Project Tango will come to market in a dedicated tablet, at it does now, but these sensors could find their way into other Android hardware. Google is working with Qualcomm to make a version of Project Tango that fits into a smartphone, The Verge reports.
And even if it never makes its way into a full-fledged VR experience, the level of immersion Project Tango can offer just on a phone or tablet should have the competition on its toes.”
To read more about Project Tango and to hear about a user’s experience with the device, click here.
This article was adapted from and directly taken from: http://www.businessinsider.com/google-project-tango-important-for-virtual-reality-2015-5
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