Project Ara

By -

Project Ara is the codename for an initiative by Google that aims to develop a free, open hardwareplatform for creating highly modular smartphones.

The platform will include a structural frame that holds smartphone modules of the owner's choice, such as a display, keyboard or an extra battery

It would allow users to swap out malfunctioning modules or upgrade individual modules as innovations emerge, providing longer lifetime cycles for the handset

The main theme of the project is to reduce Electronic Waste.

The first model of the modular phone is scheduled to be released in January 2015 and is expected to cost around $50

The Project is currently headed by Paul Eremenko.

Main goal of the Project


  • Google says the phone is designed to be used by "six billion people", including the one billion smartphone users and the five billion feature phone users
  • Google intends to sell a starter kit where the bill of materials is US$50 and includes a frame, display, battery, low-end CPU and WiFi

Structures


  • Ara phones are built using modules inserted into metal endoskeletal frames known as "endos". The frame will be the only component in an Ara phone made by Google.
  • Frames have slots on the front for the display and other modules. On the back are additional slots for modules. Each frame is expected to cost around US$15.
  • Modules can provide common smartphone features, such as cameras and speakers, but can also provide more specialized features, such as medical devices, receipt printers, laser pointers, pico projectors, night vision sensors, or game controller buttons. 
  • Each slot on the frame will accept any module of the correct size.
  • The frame also includes a small backup battery so the main battery can be swapped.
  • Modules are secured with electropermanent magnets. The enclosures of the modules are 3D-printed, so customers can design their own individual enclosures and replace them as they wish.
  • Modules will be available both at an official Google store and at third-party stores. Ara phones will only accept official modules by default, but users can change a software setting to enable unofficial modules. This is similar to how Android handles app installations.

Project Ara Prototype Models (Photo Sources - Engadget)






For Further Information and updates please visit Project Ara Official Website

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ashoka's Hell

By -
Image
Ashoka's Hell was, according to legend, an elaborate torture chamber disguised as a beautiful and attractive palace full of amenities such as exclusive baths and decorated with flowers, fruit trees and ornaments. It was built by King Ashoka (304–232 BCE) in Patliputra (modern Patna, India), the capital city of the Maurya Empire. The legend of the torture palace is detailed in the Ashokavadana, the text that describes King Ashoka's life through both legendary and historical accounts. According to legend, the palatial torture chamber was artfully designed to make its exterior visually pleasing and was referred to as the "beautiful gaol". Beneath the veneer of beauty, however, deep inside the exclusive mansion, torture chambers were constructed which were full of sadistic and cruel instruments of torture including furnaces producing molten metal for pouring on prisoners. The narrative mentions that the architect of the chamber was inspired by descriptions...
Read more

The Russians Didn't Just Use Pencils in Space

By -
Image
IMAGE CREDIT:  GETTY IMAGES A longstanding urban legend goes like this: During the space race of the 1960s, NASA spent millions developing a fancy "space pen" that could be used in zero gravity ... but the Soviets just used a pencil. This story resonates with us because NASA did actually spend piles of money on writing utensils in space—in 1965 they paid $128 per mechanical pencil, according to NASA historians (for the record, the pencils had high-strength outer casings, but the writing guts were just regular mechanical pencils). It just seems logical that the thrifty Soviets would use a simpler, smarter solution. But the story about the government-funded space pen and Soviets using pencils instead is just plain wrong—both space programs used the Fisher Space Pen, and neither paid anything to develop it. Let's dig into the real history here. WHY DON'T REGULAR BALLPOINT PENS WORK IN SPACE? The traditional ballpoint pen relies partially on gravi...
Read more