Google has unveiled a bold new Internet of Things platform at its I/O conference, according to an Engadget article by James Trew. Called Project Brillo, the platform is essentially a pared-down Android operating system designed to connect everyday household appliances and devices.
Further details are scant, but what is clear so far is that the system will use Bluetooth and WiFi to get smart home devices online, while a corollary developer platform called Weave is going to provide the framework for these devices to communicate with each other. Google also indicated that voice command will play a major role in user interaction with smart home devices, and the company said that the relevant developer tools will be available sometime in the third quarter of the year.
It’s a significant development both for the Internet of Things and for Google, but the company is only the latest to jump into the IoT ring in this way. Earlier this month, Samsung unveiled ARTIK, a chip line meant to give developers the basic technological architecture they need to build an ecosystem of IoT devices; and just last week, we saw indications that Apple plans to put its mobile devices at the center of the smart home of the future, with a user’s iPhone acting as a kind of control panel for all kinds of smart devices. Meanwhile, Huawei could provide more direct competition against Google with its forthcoming LiteOS platform, while Qualcomm continues to firm up its footing in providing the communications infrastructure for IoT devices. The IoT market is heating up very quickly, and Google’s entrance into it is likely to spur others on, as well.
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