Slow Going
On top of the BMW app, Google announced two more developments for Tango on Wednesday. A new app allows shoppers to test clothes from the Gap brand using Tango. And Google added a new hardware partner: The Zenphone from Asustek Computer Inc. is now compatible with Tango’s technology.
However, both announcements reveal the limitations of Google’s efforts. For one, there aren’t many consumers that can try it out. The Asus Zenfone is only the second model to enable Tango, following a device from Lenovo Group Ltd.
And it’s still incomplete for consumers that try the technology. With the mobile app for Gap, for instance, shoppers try on outfits using a 3D digital avatar, rather than superimpose the clothes on their bodies. The latter tactic might arrive eventually, but the tech needed is still in its infancy.
“Producing content for these mediums is extremely hard,” said Shanna Tellerman, founder of Modsy, a startup that uses three-dimensional technology for e-commerce. “It often looks a little bit janky.”
Google is aware of the problem. In addition to challenges with realistic rendering, mobile 3D mapping is constrained by difficulties imposed by lighting and geographic space, said Johnny Lee, director of engineering for Tango. The gap between expectations of the technology and its reality can do more harm than good.
“When people think about augmented reality, they think of science fiction quality effects,” he said.
Limited Audience
That’s also the rationale behind Google’s cautious implementation of Tango on devices, Lee explained. While the company ultimately plans for the tech to function inside every mobile device, it now doesn’t reach a vast majority of Android smartphones.
Hardware changes demanded from Tango’s sensors also may give Google’s manufacturing partners pause.