The startup technology firm, Mantis Vision, is making strides in 3D technology and has announced a tablet for developers on September 18 that would specialize in scanning and photographing physical objects and turning them into interactive 3D scenes. Earlier this year, the start-up has partnered with Google (GOOG, Financial) to include its technology in Google’s Project Tango which caters to smartphones and tablets. How this tablet brings in a sea change in the tech space is yet to be seen, but let’s take a sneak peek into its salient features and how it could match the standards of the rivals.
Google-Mantis Vision collaboration
Mantis Vision, a developer of some of the world’s advanced 3D enabling technologies, confirmed early this year that its MV4D technology would serve as the core engine behind Google’s Project Tango.
According to CEO Amihai Loven, 3D does represent a paradigm shift for mobile technology. To date, there have not been significant changes in the technology since the introduction of the camera-phone. The MV4D technology offers developers the ability to deliver 3D-enabled mobile devices and capabilities to the entire world. He has further added, “This partnership with Google offers Mantis Vision the flexibility to expand quickly and strategically. It will fuel adoption and engagement directly with consumer audiences worldwide. Together, we are bringing 3D to the masses.”
The devices made post the collaboration by Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects division would help software developers make advancements in 3D mapping. While the Project Tango smartphones and tablets focus more on where the device is in relation to the space around it, the new tablet named Aquila launched by Mantis Vision is more for developers who want to create content that could be used in things such as gaming.
In the words of Mantis Vision's CEO, “The idea here is that the 3D market is application driven.”
Features of Aquila
The device would sport an 8-inch display, with a Qualcomm (QCOM, Financial) Snapdragon 801 processor. It’s also got two sensors, one near-infrared and one colour, with a Sony (SNE, Financial) 13-megapixel camera and powered by Google’s Android operating system. It features 64 GB storage capacity, 2 GB of RAM, an IR flash projector and a white LED flash.
The tablet is expected to have 3D ability and provide a virtual reality experience. In fact, during a smartphone demonstration Loven showed an animated version of himself driving a convertible by plopping a phone inside a pair of Google Cardboard – the similar do-it-yourself virtual reality kit that the company handed out to the developers at an I/O conference in June. It is the Mantis Vision’s SDK that would help to transform recorded content into 3D.
The promise of virtual reality can go far beyond gaming, and that’s why the startup has invested its money in this technology. With the Aquila, the user can do virtual shopping by allowing someone to virtually see what a big-screen TV might look like in the living room. Thus, this tablet offers app developers the opportunity to leverage the Smart Terrain 3D reconstruction capability of the Qualcomm Vuforia mobile vision platform to create a new level of reality experience in gaming and shopping.
As the company puts forth- “Aquila will be the first tool of its kind for content creators and a variety of commercial and vertical market applications. Because it is available to all developers and OEMs, makers will have unbounded access to a brave new 3D content ecosystem. Along with Flextronics (FLEX, Financial), we are ready to reinvent the 3D experience for everyone, from creators to consumers."
Keeping pace with competition
Besides the start-up firm’s efforts to bring 3D for interested consumers, several other tech companies have also staked their claim in 3D and virtual reality experiences. In July this year, Amazon (AMZN, Financial) put the 3D technology in its Fire Phone .
Earlier in March, Facebook (FB, Financial) had announced investing $2 billion to buy the virtual reality goggle maker Oculus Innovative Sciences (OCLS), which has partnered with Samsung to create headsets that use mobile devices to develop a virtual reality experience. Since the new tablet declared on Thursday gives a similar experience with respect to virtual reality, it can prove competitive among the 3D smartphone rivals.
Right now, the tablet development kit is available for developers at a sticker price of $925 at Qualcomm’s Uplinq mobile developer conference in San Francisco this week, but the technology would find its way into consumer-grade tablets only by early next year.
Final word
Mantis Vision is on the right trajectory to promote its new invention, which will truly create ripples in the tablets market where customers are always expecting new interactive features and the 3D experience will add a new spice to their lives. We need to stay hooked on this news piece till the Aquila finally hits the market.
