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Google's Advanced Technology and Projects group (ATAP) is a skunkworks team and in-house technology incubator, created by former DARPA director Regina Dugan. ATAP is similar to X, but works on projects, granting project leaders time—previously only two years—in which to move a project from concept to proven product. According to Dugan,[1] the ideal ATAP project combines technology and science, requires a certain amount of novel research, and creates a marketable product. Historically, the ATAP team was born at Motorola Mobility and kept when Google sold Motorola Mobility to Lenovo in 2014;[2] for this reason, ATAP ideas have tended to involve mobile hardware technology.

Key Information

The team embodies principles that former Google VP Dugan used at DARPA.[3] One of these principles is to create small teams of high performers. Another is to make use of resources outside the organizational box; ATAP has worked with hundreds of partners in more than twenty countries, including schools, corporations, startups, governments, and nonprofits. Standing contracts are in place with a number of top-flight schools, such as Stanford, Berkeley, MIT, and Caltech, to facilitate rapid research arrangements when needed.

Projects

[edit]

Although ATAP has occasionally publicized the number of projects in progress, the individual projects are kept secret until they are nearing maturity and it's time to start developing public interest. At that point, they have historically been announced at the annual Google I/O developer conference. Some of the announced projects to date are described below.

Project Tango

[edit]
Main article: Tango (platform)

The Project Tango team was led by computer scientist Johnny Lee, a core contributor to Microsoft's Kinect. Project Tango was a computer-vision technology that allows mobile devices to detect their position relative to the world around them, without requiring GPS or other external signals. This enables the use of mobile phones and tablets for indoor navigation, 3D mapping, measurement of physical spaces, recognition of known environments, augmented reality, and windows into virtual 3D worlds.

In the first quarter of 2015, the team left ATAP and became a Google team in its own right, making Project Tango the first product to emerge from the intensive two-year incubator process.[4]

Project Ara

[edit]
Main article: Project Ara

Project Ara was a proposed platform for creating customizable, modular smartphones. With Project Ara, consumers would populate an electronic frame, called an endoskeleton or "endo", with rectangular hardware modules for power, processing, memory, screen, wireless, and other functionality. Consumers assemble basic modules to create a working device, then add or remove additional modules as desired – in some cases, even while the device is operating. Optional modules might include cameras, speakers, large data storage, and medical sensors. Since users could update individual modules when better technology becomes available, Project Ara would have provided a hedge against cyclical obsolescence.

It could also reduce the purchase price of a low-end cell phone, by creating the option of buying only the most basic features. This could have supported the spread of technology in economically-disadvantaged areas. The official Project Ara website[5] specified a targeted manufacturing cost for an entry-level device in the $50-$100 range, and stated that the project has "the goal of delivering the mobile internet to the next 5 billion people". Google had targeted the first Project Ara public release for Puerto Rico in 2015, but announced that the test has been delayed until 2016.[6]

A Project Ara Module Development Kit (MDK)[7] would have enabled manufacturers to create Project Ara-compatible modules. An early pre-release version of the MDK was available on the Project Ara website. ATAP sponsored Project Ara Developer's Conferences in 2014 and 2015 to begin stimulating interest in the emerging hardware ecosystem and solicit input from potential designers and manufacturers.

Ara was an exception in that the usual ATAP two-year timeframe was extended to give more time for the project's completion. However, at the time of the extension team leader Paul Eremenko was replaced by Rafa Camargo,[8] named by CNET in 2015 as one of the Top 20 Latinos in Tech.[9] On September 2, 2016, Google confirmed that Project Ara had been shelved.[10]

Project Soli

[edit]

Project Soli[11] is a new gesture-recognition technology based on radar, unlike established approaches based on visual or infrared light such as stereo cameras, structured light, or time-of-flight sensors. This novel approach, which uses small, high-speed sensors and data-analysis techniques such as Doppler, can detect fine motions with sub-millimeter accuracy.[12] Thus, for instance, Project Soli technology enables a user to issue commands to a computer by rubbing a thumb and forefinger together in pre-defined patterns. Applications might include sensors embedded in clothing, switches that don't require physical contact, and accessibility technology.

The project is headed by Ivan Poupyrev,[13] a former scientist for Disney Imagineering who was named one of Fast Company's "100 Most Creative People in Business 2013".[14] Project Soli was announced at Google I/O 2015[15] and generated considerable media interest.[16][17][18] According to the official site, in 2015 the team was preparing to make an alpha Project Soli development kit available to a limited number of developers, with plans for signing people up for a larger beta release later that year. At Google I/O 2016, Google demoed a newer Project Soli chip redesigned for smartwatches and speakers with Infineon Technologies. The chip was 3x smaller, with 22x lower power consumption (down from 1.2 to 0.054 W) and 256x more efficient computational power capable of up to 18,000 frames per second.[19]

The Pixel 4, released in 2019, is the first commercial smartphone to feature Soli chip for motion sensing.[20] The Pixel 4's Soli radar system is a single 5.0 mm x 6.5 mm RFIC.[21]

Project Jacquard

[edit]
Demo of Project Jacquard

Another novel user-input technology, from the same team responsible for Project Soli, is Project Jacquard, a platform for embedding sensors and feedback devices in fabrics and clothing in ways that seem natural and comfortable. The platform encompasses techniques for creating fashion fabrics with conductive fibers woven into them, plus small, flexible computing components and feedback devices (such as haptics or LEDs), along with software APIs that applications can use to exchange data with the garment. In one basic use-case, users can provide input to a mobile phone by touching or stroking the garment in a designated location, and can receive alerts through vibrations, sounds, or lights in the garment. With an embedded Project Soli sensor built into the garment, the application can also recognize finger gestures or other signals.

The name "Jacquard" is borrowed from the Jacquard loom, invented in 1801, which could be controlled with punched cards and inspired the use of punched cards in computing more than a century later. Like the loom, ATAP's Project Jacquard is a platform, not a consumer product; it enables the creation of products for uses such as communication, personal assistance, navigation, health and fitness, fashion, and work. To date, demos and marketing materials emphasize style and quality, as opposed to a purely sports-based or utilitarian positioning. Project Jacquard was announced at Google I/O 2015, and at the same time Google announced a related partnership with clothing manufacturer Levi Strauss & Co. to create Jacquard-enabled jackets.[22] The jackets were released in 2017 with mixed reviews about the jacket's overall usefulness.[23][24]

According to the ATAP website, designers can use Jacquard "as they would any fabric, adding new layers of functionality to their designs, without having to learn about electronics." The site goes on to say "We are also developing custom connectors, electronic components, communication protocols, and an ecosystem of simple applications and cloud services." A developer's kit or product release date have not been announced.

In September 2019, Yves Saint Laurent announced their Cit-E backpack featuring Jacquard technology for touch gestures.[25]

In October 2019, Google announced a new collaboration with Levi Strauss & Co. to release a new edition of its Jacquard-enabled jackets. The jackets will be available in the U.S., Australia, France, Germany, Italy, the U.K. and Japan.[26]

On March 10, 2020, Adidas and EA Sports announced GMR, a smart insole featuring a Jacquard Tag. The Jacquard Tag uses machine learning algorithms to recognize kicks, shot power, distance and speed. It connects with FIFA Mobile for challenges and leaderboards.[27][28] Jacquard is scheduled to shut down sometime in 2023.[29]

Other projects

[edit]
  • Project Abacus, a password replacement project using biometric data[30]
  • Project Vault, a project to develop secure computers on microSD cards[31]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Google ATAP

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from Grokipedia
Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group is a skunkworks-style research and development lab within Alphabet Inc.'s division, specializing in the rapid prototyping and incubation of groundbreaking hardware technologies, particularly in mobile, wearable, and interactive computing domains. Founded in 2012 under the leadership of Regina Dugan, a former director of the U.S. , ATAP was established within shortly after 's acquisition of the company that year, before transitioning to in 2014 following the sale of Motorola to . The lab operates on a -inspired model, emphasizing small, cross-disciplinary teams of engineers, scientists, designers, and artists to deliver ambitious projects within tight two-year timelines, often collaborating with external partners like universities, , and industry leaders across more than 20 countries. ATAP's portfolio includes pioneering efforts in modular hardware, gesture-based interactions, and immersive media, with notable projects such as —a customizable, Lego-like concept aimed at democratizing device personalization—and Project Tango, a 3D motion-sensing platform that evolved into foundational technology for Google's tools like . Other key innovations encompass Project Soli, a miniature radar system enabling touchless gesture controls for devices, integrated into products like the smartphone, and Jacquard, a smart fabric technology developed in partnership with fashion brands such as Levi's and Yves Saint Laurent to embed interactive computing into clothing for seamless, gesture-driven user experiences. In recent years, ATAP has expanded its focus to , nonverbal human-computer interaction, and the fusion of technology with art, including radar-based motion platforms for inclusive wearables and collaborations with institutions like to create AI-enhanced immersive art installations using Jacquard and generative tools from . Despite some projects like Ara being discontinued, ATAP continues to influence Google's hardware ecosystem, driving ambient computing paradigms that prioritize intuitive, over traditional interfaces.

History

Formation and Early Development

Google acquired Motorola Mobility in May 2012 for $12.5 billion, aiming to bolster its mobile hardware capabilities and patent portfolio. Shortly thereafter, in the same year, the company established the Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group within as an in-house incubator to drive rapid innovation in mobile technologies. Inspired by the 's model of high-risk, high-reward research, ATAP was designed as a skunkworks operation to foster breakthrough advancements outside traditional product development cycles. In May 2012, Regina Dugan, who had served as 's 19th director from 2009 to 2012, joined as senior vice president of engineering to lead and create ATAP. Under her direction, the group emphasized a "special forces" approach to innovation, drawing directly from her experience in accelerating technological prototypes through aggressive timelines and interdisciplinary collaboration. ATAP's initial mandate centered on moonshot-style projects aimed at transforming user interactions with devices, with each initiative given a strict two-year window to progress from concept to functional . This compressed timeline was intended to ensure focus and feasibility, compelling teams to deliver tangible outcomes or pivot quickly, much like DARPA's challenge-driven programs. The early team was assembled by recruiting specialists in .

Transition to Alphabet and Evolution

In January 2014, sold to for $2.91 billion but retained the Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group, preserving its innovative hardware initiatives amid the divestiture. The approximately 100-person team, originally based in , relocated to 's headquarters in , to integrate more closely with the company's core engineering efforts. Following Google's restructuring into Alphabet Inc. in August 2015, ATAP continued operating as a skunkworks team within the Google subsidiary, maintaining its focus on experimental hardware while benefiting from the broader conglomerate's emphasis on moonshot innovation. This transition allowed ATAP to sustain its DARPA-inspired model of time-bound projects aimed at rapid prototyping and potential commercialization. Over time, ATAP expanded its scope beyond pure hardware to encompass software-hardware integrations, exemplified by collaborations such as the 2015 partnership with Levi Strauss & Co. for Project Jacquard, which embedded interactive textile technologies into apparel. A significant leadership change occurred in April 2016 when Regina Dugan, ATAP's founding vice president, departed for to lead its Building 8 hardware lab, taking several key team members with her. This shift marked a pivot for ATAP toward more product-oriented explorations, evolving from speculative to initiatives with clearer paths to market viability and integration into Google's . Following Dugan's departure, ATAP was integrated into Google's broader hardware organization under the leadership of Rick Osterloh, continuing its innovative work as of 2025.

Organizational Structure

Development Philosophy and Model

Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group adopts a development philosophy centered on rapid, high-impact innovation, drawing brief inspiration from DARPA's approach to fostering breakthroughs at the intersection of fundamental research and practical application. This model emphasizes "Pasteur's quadrant," where projects pursue use-inspired basic research to achieve quantum leaps in technology rather than incremental improvements. A core tenet of ATAP's operational framework is the "two-year rule," which mandates delivering a functional or demonstration at scale within 24 months, in stark contrast to traditional corporate R&D timelines that often span years or decades without tangible outcomes. If unmet, projects are either terminated, transferred to other units, spun out as independent ventures, or extended with a new team to maintain momentum and prevent indefinite resource drain. This impatience-driven cycle ensures focus on high-risk, high-reward endeavors, prioritizing speed and feasibility over prolonged experimentation. ATAP functions as a skunkworks-style , employing small, autonomous teams—typically a dozen or fewer core members augmented by external experts—to minimize bureaucracy and maximize agility. These teams enjoy significant independence within , operating like a "small band of pirates" to pursue bold ideas unencumbered by standard corporate oversight, while concentrating on innovations that push technological boundaries. With a lean full-time staff of around 75 as of 2014 and extensive partnerships involving 514 collaborators across universities, startups, and industry leaders, ATAP fosters an interdisciplinary environment that accelerates problem-solving. The philosophy places strong emphasis on hardware-software convergence, integrating advanced sensors and components with Google's software , such as Android, to create cohesive, scalable solutions. principles guide this integration, prioritizing intuitive interactions and real-world applicability through iterative testing and customization options that enhance end-user experiences. External collaborations play a pivotal role, enabling real-world validation via diverse partners like academic institutions and creative talents, who contribute specialized knowledge while ATAP shares to encourage broader adoption. Resource allocation under this model provides ATAP with privileged access to Google's vast , including talent, centers, and capabilities, facilitating the transition of viable prototypes into full products or external handoffs. This ecosystem integration allows small teams to punch above their weight, leveraging company-wide assets for prototyping and scaling without the need for massive internal builds from scratch.

Leadership and Key Personnel

Regina Dugan served as the founding of Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group from to 2016, applying her experience as director of the from 2009 to to foster and breakthrough innovation within the . At , Dugan oversaw high-risk, high-reward projects that accelerated technologies like advanced prosthetics and cybersecurity defenses, principles she adapted to ATAP's two-year project cycles aimed at delivering functional prototypes. Following Dugan's departure to in 2016, Dan Kaufman, her former deputy from both and ATAP, assumed leadership of the group and served until April 2025, shifting focus toward greater collaboration with Google's consumer hardware division under Rick Osterloh to streamline transitions into production. This integration emphasized practical deployment over standalone moonshots, aligning ATAP's outputs with broader hardware strategies. As of November 2025, details on ATAP's current leadership are not publicly specified, though the group continues interdisciplinary work, including recent collaborations with on AI-enhanced projects. Key technical leads at ATAP included Paul Eremenko, who directed efforts in modular hardware systems drawing on his prior systems engineering roles at and program management at . Johnny Lee, a renowned for his Kinect contributions at , led advancements in platforms. Ivan Poupyrev, with expertise in human-computer interaction from Disney Research, spearheaded innovations in gesture-sensing and interactive textiles. ATAP's team comprised a small, elite group of engineers, designers, and researchers recruited from elite institutions and organizations, including , , , and academia, to drive interdisciplinary collaboration on ambitious hardware challenges. This composition enabled the rapid assembly of cross-functional expertise, mirroring 's model of assembling top talent for time-bound missions.

Key Projects

Project Ara

Project Ara was a modular smartphone initiative developed by Google ATAP, envisioning a customizable device akin to a set where users could swap out components such as cameras, batteries, displays, and sensors via electro-permanent magnets and a standardized frame. Launched publicly in 2014 under the leadership of Paul Eremenko, the project's technical lead, it aimed to transform mobile hardware from disposable products into adaptable platforms, with an initial base unit targeted at a $50 price point to encourage broad adoption. The core structure, known as the , supported up to 60 modules in various form factors, enabling users to upgrade specific parts without replacing the entire device. Development progressed through a series of developer conferences and prototypes, fostering an ecosystem for third-party module creation. The first Module Developers Kit (MDK) was released in April 2014, providing open specifications for building compatible hardware, followed by conferences in Mountain View and other locations that year to engage developers. A second conference in January 2015 showcased the Spiral 2 prototype, including the "Grey Phone"—a basic developer kit featuring the frame, screen, processor, and connectivity essentials for testing modules. This iteration marked a shift toward more functional hardware, with demonstrations of hot-swappable modules and systems, aligning with ATAP's rapid two-year development cycle. The project's primary goals centered on enhancing by allowing targeted upgrades to extend device lifespan and reduce , improving repairability through user-replaceable parts to avoid full replacements for minor failures, and empowering user innovation by opening hardware customization to developers and consumers alike. These objectives sought to democratize , shifting innovation from manufacturers to a broader community while addressing environmental concerns in the fast-paced market. Despite these ambitions, was suspended on September 2, 2016, as announced by , primarily due to insurmountable market challenges including high development costs, supply chain complexities for modules, and limited consumer demand for hardware amid a preference for integrated designs. The decision, led by Google hardware chief Rick Osterloh, reflected a strategic pivot toward software-based , such as through Android updates, to streamline the company's hardware efforts rather than pursuing niche experimental projects. Although licensing opportunities for the technology were considered, no further development ensued under .

Project Tango

Project Tango, launched in 2014 by Google ATAP under the leadership of Johnny Lee, sought to equip mobile devices with human-scale perception of space and motion through specialized hardware. The initiative integrated inertial measurement units for orientation tracking, depth sensors for 3D environmental scanning, and high-resolution cameras for visual data capture, enabling spatial mapping and augmented reality applications without external infrastructure. This hardware-centric approach aimed to transform smartphones into tools for indoor navigation, object recognition, and immersive experiences by processing real-time 3D data. To accelerate development, released Project Tango developer kits in 2015, providing early access to the platform's sensors and software for creating AR prototypes. These kits, often in tablet form with RealSense integration, allowed developers to experiment with 3D motion capture and mapping algorithms. The first consumer-ready device followed in 2016 with the Phab 2 Pro, a powered by a 652 processor that incorporated Tango's full sensor suite for seamless AR interactions, such as virtual object placement in physical spaces. This release marked the shift from experimental hardware to accessible consumer , though adoption remained limited by device availability. By 2017, recognizing the constraints of hardware dependency, Google transitioned Project Tango into ARCore, an open-source software development kit designed for compatibility with standard Android devices lacking dedicated sensors. support for Tango ended on March 1, 2018, redirecting efforts toward software-based AR that leverages existing phone cameras and IMUs for broader ecosystem integration. The platform's core technical specifications evolved into 's APIs, including motion tracking to estimate device pose using visual-inertial odometry, area learning for persistent scene mapping via cloud anchors, and environmental understanding for detecting surfaces, lighting, and depth without specialized hardware. These features enabled developers to build AR experiences like virtual furniture placement or navigational overlays, prioritizing scalability over proprietary components.

Project Soli

Project Soli is a radar-based technology developed by Google ATAP to enable touchless interactions through the detection of subtle hand and finger movements. Unveiled at 2015 by Ivan Poupyrev, the project's technical lead, it introduced miniature sensors capable of tracking fine motions, such as rubbing fingers together to simulate a button press or swiping to navigate interfaces, all without requiring physical contact or line-of-sight visibility. The core innovation of Project Soli lies in its custom millimeter-wave (mmWave) chip, which operates at 60 GHz to achieve high-resolution sensing of sub-millimeter movements while maintaining low power consumption suitable for battery-powered devices. This chip integrates the entire and into a compact package, approximately 5 mm x 6.5 mm, and employs models trained on vast datasets to interpret motions in real-time via on-device processing. Early prototypes demonstrated potential applications in wearables, such as smartwatches for precise controls, and smart home devices, like interactive surfaces that respond to mid-air gestures. Soli made its commercial debut in the smartphone in 2019, where it powered the feature for touchless unlocking, music skipping, and alarm dismissal by waving a hand over the device. The technology was later integrated into the second-generation Nest Hub smart display in 2021, enabling gesture-based media controls—such as pausing playback with a hand wave—and contactless Sleep Sensing to monitor breathing and movement for wellness insights without cameras or wearables. These implementations highlighted Soli's ability to function reliably in diverse environments, distinguishing intentional gestures from background noise through advanced . Project Soli evolved into a mature platform with the open-source Ripple standard, facilitating radar-based sensing in third-party devices. Refinements emphasized via on-device and opt-in features, alongside benefits such as hands-free interactions for users with motor impairments. The technology continues to influence broader perception research at , though it is not a primary focus in recent flagships.

Project Jacquard

Project Jacquard, initiated by Google ATAP in 2015 under the leadership of technical program lead Ivan Poupyrev, developed a system for embedding conductive yarns and touch sensors directly into fabrics during standard manufacturing processes, enabling gesture-based interactions on everyday wearables without altering their appearance or comfort. This approach used metallic alloys woven with natural or synthetic threads to create interactive surfaces capable of detecting taps, swipes, and other gestures, which could connect via to smartphones for controlling functions like media playback. The technology aimed to integrate digital capabilities seamlessly into clothing and accessories, transforming them into intuitive interfaces for ambient . A key milestone was the 2017 collaboration with Levi's, resulting in the launch of the Commuter Trucker Jacket, the first commercial product featuring Jacquard technology. The jacket incorporated conductive threads into its cuff, paired with a removable Bluetooth-enabled "smart tag" that allowed users to perform capacitive touch gestures—such as double-taps for play/pause or swipes for skipping tracks—to control music, navigation, calls, and camera functions through a companion Android or app. Priced at $350, it was initially available in select markets including the , , and , with the tag providing haptic feedback and LED notifications while being machine-washable up to 10 times when detached. This demonstrated Jacquard's potential for practical, stylish wearables targeted at urban commuters. The project expanded beyond apparel with partnerships like the 2020 release of Samsonite's Konnect-i backpacks, which integrated Jacquard into the strap for controls over phone features such as and notifications, available in standard and slim sizes starting at $200. In 2021, open-sourced the Jacquard SDK to encourage developer adoption, enabling third-party apps to support custom , haptics, and lighting on compatible hardware like the updated Jacquard Tag, which offered improved battery life and a smaller form factor. This move aimed to broaden the ecosystem, with integrations for and camera controls, fostering innovations in interactive textiles. Despite these advancements, announced the discontinuation of Jacquard support in March 2023, with the companion app and cloud services shutting down on April 24, 2023, effectively ending functionality for all Jacquard-enabled products. The decision rendered existing items like the Levi's jacket and backpacks inoperable for smart features, though the hardware remained usable as standard apparel or accessories.

Other Initiatives

In addition to its more widely recognized hardware-focused endeavors, Google ATAP pursued several initiatives centered on enhancing and through innovative prototypes, primarily unveiled in . These projects aimed to address vulnerabilities in traditional systems by leveraging , hardware isolation, and emerging standards, though most remained at the and demonstration stage without transitioning to widespread consumer products. Project Abacus, announced at 2015, sought to enable continuous, by generating a dynamic "trust score" based on biometric and behavioral data collected from a user's device interactions. This included patterns such as typing rhythm, via phone sensors, speech characteristics, and device handling habits, allowing seamless unlocking of devices and apps without explicit user input like PINs or fingerprints. The system was designed to verify identity in real-time, increasing security by constantly monitoring for deviations that might indicate unauthorized access, and was demonstrated using Android devices to illustrate its potential for eliminating static passwords. However, Project Abacus did not advance beyond prototypes and testing phases, with no commercial deployment reported. Complementing Abacus, Project Vault introduced a hardware-based solution for secure in the form of a microSD card-sized device that functioned as an isolated, tamper-resistant computer. Unveiled alongside Abacus in 2015, it incorporated a custom (RTOS), cryptographic tools, and NFC capabilities to enable encrypted , secure app execution, and communications between devices equipped with Vault cards, all without relying on the host device's security infrastructure. This allowed for app isolation and protected transactions, such as encrypted messaging, by treating the card as a portable that could be inserted into any compatible phone or computer. While prototypes were showcased for Android compatibility, Vault saw limited integration into select devices for testing but was not broadly adopted or commercialized. ATAP's security efforts also extended to contributions toward standards, including early involvement in the FIDO Alliance's initiatives for phishing-resistant logins using and hardware tokens. In 2015, as part of its broader anti-password push, ATAP aligned projects like and Vault with FIDO principles to promote interoperable, device-bound credentials that reduced reliance on shared secrets. Experimental explorations into haptic feedback systems for were considered, aiming to use tactile patterns as a non-visual verification layer, though these remained conceptual and did not yield distinct prototypes. Google's participation in FIDO, which predated but intersected with ATAP's work, helped shape standards adopted in later Android features like secure key storage. In subsequent years, ATAP expanded into and art-tech fusions. In September 2021, it adapted Jacquard technology for interactive patches aiding users with mobility and dexterity disabilities, in collaboration with Champions Place and para powerlifter Garrison Redd, using to customize . Around 2022, Soli was explored for understanding nonverbal cues, such as user presence and orientation, to enable more intuitive ambient computing interactions while preserving privacy. In 2023, ATAP partnered with on a commissioning artists like Shahryar Nashat, Rachel Rose, and Sara Sadik to create AI-enhanced immersive installations blending ambient sensors and generative tools from . By 2025, these ATAP initiatives had largely served as research prototypes that informed Google's evolving ecosystem, such as enhanced biometric trust models in Android and FIDO-compliant passkeys, without resulting in major standalone consumer launches. The focus on continuous and hardware isolation influenced internal developments but highlighted the challenges of scaling experimental hardware amid shifting priorities toward software-integrated solutions.

Impact and Legacy

Technological Contributions to Google Products

Google ATAP's innovations have significantly shaped several core features in Google's hardware and software ecosystems, transitioning experimental technologies into practical, user-facing applications. By integrating advanced sensing, , and interaction paradigms, ATAP projects have enhanced Android's capabilities, gesture-based controls, biometric authentication, and wearable interfaces. One of the most prominent contributions stems from Project Tango, which laid the groundwork for , Google's platform for on Android devices. Tango's and motion-tracking algorithms evolved into , enabling developers to create immersive AR experiences without specialized hardware. This shift democratized AR, powering features in apps like , where 's AR+ mode enhances Pokémon placement and interaction in real-world environments, improving stability and depth perception for Android users. Project Soli's radar-based sensing technology has been directly adopted in the series, introducing touchless gesture controls and adaptive features. In the , Soli's miniaturized chip powers Motion , allowing users to perform actions like dismissing notifications or snoozing alarms with hand waves, while also enabling adaptive brightness that adjusts screen illumination based on proximity and environmental cues. Beyond smartphones, Soli has extended to smart home devices, such as the Nest Hub, where it facilitates touchless interactions like volume adjustments and sleep tracking without physical contact or cameras. ATAP's security-focused projects, including and Vault, explored robust and frameworks. Project developed behavioral to generate a "Trust Score" for continuous , analyzing patterns like typing rhythms and device handling to potentially replace traditional passwords. Similarly, Project Vault aimed to create a secure environment on microSD cards, providing isolated and protection against software attacks for sensitive operations like key storage and biometric data processing. Project Jacquard's textile-embedded sensors and actuators demonstrated how conductive threads could deliver precise, fabric-integrated haptics in clothing.

Challenges, Cancellations, and Current Status

Google's Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group has encountered significant hurdles in commercializing its ambitious initiatives, primarily due to high development costs, challenges in scaling prototypes to , and market conditions favoring established, integrated technologies over experimental ones. For instance, Project Ara's design, while innovative, proved prohibitively expensive to engineer and manufacture at scale, with estimates suggesting costs could exceed those of conventional devices by a wide margin. Additionally, the smartphone market's dominance by seamless, high-performance devices like Apple's left little room for consumer adoption of modular alternatives, as users prioritized reliability and ecosystem integration over customization. Similar scalability issues plagued other efforts, such as the experimental battery project, which was terminated after just nine months in 2015 due to unforeseen technical complexities in achieving viable without compromising safety. ATAP's project portfolio reveals a pattern of frequent discontinuations, with at least four major initiatives shelved by 2025, often after initial but before widespread commercialization. was officially suspended in September 2016, marking an early high-profile failure as shifted resources away from hardware experimentation. Project Jacquard, which embedded touch-sensitive threads into clothing in partnership with Levi's, saw its supporting app discontinued in April 2023 amid low user engagement and limited partnerships, effectively ending the initiative. Project Abacus, aimed at through behavioral analysis of user interactions like and , advanced to testing phases in 2016 but remained a without further development or integration into products. These cancellations, alongside the 2015 battery effort, underscore ATAP's struggle to transition from proof-of-concept to market-ready solutions within its typical two-year project timelines. The departure of founding leader Regina Dugan in April 2016 exacerbated these challenges, as she transitioned to a similar role at , taking key personnel with her and prompting a strategic reevaluation at ATAP. This leadership vacuum contributed to resource reallocation and a noticeable decline in public visibility, with ATAP absent from major events like in 2017 and subsequent years, signaling a pivot toward more internal, less flashy endeavors. As of November 2025, ATAP remains operational within , emphasizing internal research and development over consumer-facing announcements. While no major new hardware projects have been revealed since around 2020, the group has continued work on , nonverbal human-computer interaction via radar-based platforms, and collaborations such as the 2023 initiative with DeepMind for AI-driven experiences. Among its outputs, Project Soli's radar-based gesture technology endures as ATAP's most sustained contribution, integrated into select devices like the before evolving into niche applications, though it has not achieved widespread adoption.

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  22. https://www.theverge.com/a/sundars-google/atap-lab-regina-dugan-google-io-2015
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  24. https://www.vox.com/2016/4/14/11586138/google-atap-next
  25. https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2012-mar-13-la-fi-tn-from-darpa-to-google-regina-dugan-20120313-story.html
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  27. https://techcrunch.com/2017/05/18/atap-goes-awol-at-google-io/
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  30. https://www.theverge.com/2016/6/9/11895368/google-project-tango-name-change-ar-atap
  31. https://www.fastcompany.com/90154717/tango-googles-big-ar-experiment-is-over
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  33. https://www.wired.com/2015/05/google-wants-turn-everything-wearable/
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  36. https://www.wired.com/2014/04/google-project-ara/
  37. https://techcrunch.com/2014/02/26/google-project-ara-developer-conference/
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  40. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/29/motorola-project-ara-modular-smartphones
  41. https://www.wired.com/story/google-cancels-project-ara/
  42. https://www.theverge.com/2016/9/2/12775922/google-project-ara-modular-phone-suspended-confirm
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  44. https://phys.org/news/2014-02-google-unveils-tango-3d-smartphone.html
  45. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/feb/21/googles-project-tango-reveals-location-aware-phone
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  47. https://www.telecompaper.com/news/google-tango-vr-project-debuts-on-lenovo-phab-pro-2--1169801
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  49. https://www.qualcomm.com/news/onq/2016/06/worlds-first-tango-device-consumers-lenovo-phab2-pro-powered-snapdragon
  50. https://techcrunch.com/2017/12/15/google-kills-its-tango-augmented-reality-platform-shifting-focus-to-arcore/
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  52. https://developers.google.com/ar/develop/fundamentals
  53. https://support.google.com/faqs/answer/6122425?hl=en
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  90. https://www.androidpolice.com/google-pixel-4-killed-motion-soli-radar-future/
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