Upcoming Smartphone Technology Part 1 – VPS Indoor Navigation
Changes in smartphone technology happen at a rapid pace. Things become obsolete quickly. Things like a processor, camera, and other enhancements appear each year.
Today, there are smartphones, that have innovative features like fingerprint scanners and dual cameras. In near future, folding screens appear to be a strong possibility.
Hence, with this article, we are starting a series of upcoming smartphone technologies. In the first part of this series, we will talk about Virtual Private Server (VPS) Indoor Navigation.
What is VPS Indoor Navigation?
We all use Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation on our mobile devices in order to find driving routes and for finding destinations. In near future, a technology similar to GPS is likely to be used for indoor navigation too. At Google I/O 2017, the search giant inaugurated its augmented reality VPS indoor navigation technology. This technology will be enabled on Tango-equipped smartphones.
At the time of VPS launch, Clay Bavor, Vice President of Virtual and Augmented Reality, said:
“One thing we’ve seen clearly is that AR is most powerful when it’s tightly coupled to the real world, and the more precisely the better. That’s why we’ve been working with the Google Maps team on a service that can give devices access to very precise location information indoors.”
Using this technology, warehouses, shops and businesses can provide layouts of various products or important indoor locations. Tango users can use these products or locations to navigate to desired items for purchase or other indoor locations with complete ease.
How does VPS work?
Bavor described VPS as “kind of like GPS” which did not talk to satellites. The cameras on a Tango device triangulate position on the basis of “distinct visual features in the environment”.
VPS uses a combination of computer machine learning, vision and mapping coordinates to figure out the user’s location. After, that it routes the person driving to the route to their destination. This can be done even in those areas where a GPS or data signal might be weak.VPS indoor navigation technology also has audio interfaces.
Google has said that indoor mapping technology can be used to assist people who are visually impaired. Using indoor mapping technology visually impaired people can find various locations via navigation.
Bavor said:
“Further out, imagine what this technology could mean to people with impaired vision. VPS in an audio-based interface could transform how they make their way through the world.”
Going beyond Tango phones, this technology has implications for many futures augmented and mixed reality devices.
Bavor also explained how VPS can be helpful for shopping and how it can pinpoint the product that the user is looking for. He said:
“Imagine in the future your phone could just take you to that exact screwdriver and point it out to you on the shelf. The phone can figure out exactly where it is in space — down to a few centimeters. GPS can get you to the door. And then VPS can get you to the exact item that you’re looking for.”
What are your thoughts on VPS? Share with us. We will return soon with the next article in this series covering Augmented Reality Apps.
Lastly, we are on LinkedIn now. Follow us here and get all updates about Android and other technology