Project Ara is a modular phone concept that Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) team is working on. The whole world has its eyes on this concept as the idea of a customizable phone is very interesting. FOSSEE Project based at IIT Bombay had organised a seminar on Project Ara. Speakers at the event were Anil Rachakonda, Head of Developer Relations at Project Ara and Khasim Syed Mohammed,Tech Lead of Android Engineering at Linaro.
FOSSEE, whose trust area is open source software had arranged this to guide interested developers in the world of modular hardware. I got the opportunity to attend the event and as an enthusiast the seminar was highly informative. For those who don’t know about the project, Project Ara is a developmental effort made to create a modular smartphone where one can simple swap hardware parts and make a phone with the specifications they like.
The Project Ara phone is made of 2 main components — The Endo and the Modules
Google aims to set the guideline for modular smartphones. The first of them is the chassis or the Endoskeleton as Google calls it. The Endo is the core component that works in bringing all the different modules together. The modules determine how the phone would end up functioning. This endo has the UniPro interface built in that has high transfer speeds of 10Gb/s for small modules and 20Gb/s for larger modules. It also has a small battery inbuilt which allows the user to hot swap the battery module.
The Modules on the other hand are what give the phone its functionality. These modules can be anything from cameras to biometric sensors to application processors. They connect to the endoskeleton using electropermanent magnets. These modules can be hot swapped from the endo and are constructed with set guidelines for every developer/OEM. Because of this, these modules can be shared among people, increasing the usability and reducing wastage.
Following are the things I learnt about Project Ara at the seminar
- Google is loaning out the Modular Development Kit to the developers who want to make and test modules for the Ara Phone.
- The current hardware used for Project Ara is open source and all the documentation is available with Google.
- An Endo can have multiple modules of the same type, eg 2-3 Battery modules or multiple camera modules can be used.
- The UniPro interface on the Endo allows the modules to communicate with each other without processor intervention.
- Each modules is RF shielded and Ara phones will come with an app that’ll suggest module placement for optimum performance
- The same app will also display the permissions the module is requesting for and the user can fine tune it as required.
- Google wants to set up a marketplace for Ara phones where it will sell the Endoskeleton and the Modules for the device.
- Only Google will manufacture the Endo, while the modules can be manufactured by any individual or OEM.
- Each module will be tested thoroughly to check if it complies with the requirements before it is made available to the masses. Though this may cause a delay in a module being made and made available, it reduces the risk of a rogue module.
- Contrary to beliefs the modules will not be thrown out in an event of a fall thanks to strong electropermanent magnets.
Google is planning a pilot launch in Puerto Rico by the end of 2015.
