Google shuts down Tango in favour of ARCore for augmented reality

With the ARCore developers' kit, the focus is on creating mixed reality applications that principally make use of the mobile device's camera.

Google has officially called time on its Project Tango augmented reality initiative, which shuts down March 1, 2018, to make way for the latest version of its ARCore developers' kit. The aim is to bring this technology to future devices running Google's Android mobile operating system.

Project Tango, launched by Google in 2014, allows developers to combine virtual reality content with real-world environments using motion sensors in dedicated devices. Its first concrete realisation came in 2016 with Lenovo's Phab 2 Pro smartphone, integrating Tango technology, allowing users to visualise new furniture or décor items in their homes, for example. The same year, the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group was the first to use Tango in a professional context, allowing its customers to discover new models in an original way.