Working Project Ara device shown off on stage with interchangeable modules
Technology moves at a rapid pace. Nothing is a better example of that than Project Ara. What first started as seemingly a fantasy has blossomed into a legitimate product in a little over a year. In June we witnessed an Ara device get powered on for the first time. It was stuck in a bootloop, but even that was seen as a huge success. Fast forward a few months and we’re already seeing fully working prototypes.
Last week Phonebloks published a video with a fully working Ara device, and today a Google employee showed off one at Engadget’s New York event. It’s able to play Angry Birds, watch Beauty and the Beast, and most importantly, swap modules on the fly. Project Ara devices will come with an app that allows you to turn off the magnet for certain modules so you can slide them in and out.
During the presentation the Googler was able to remove a module and replace it with a heartbeat scanner. All of this was done while the device remained powered on. The heartbeat scanner really shows how amazing Project Ara can be. Imagine doctors being able to simply add medical instruments to their devices. It’s an amazing technology that gets more real every day. Are you excited for Project Ara?