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Open Accessory API
This API will allow developers to support a variety of hardware accessories that enable Android to run on devices way beyond the typical mobile phone and IT environments, such as on exercise bicycles or other household appliances. "Think of it as the beginning of the next wave of Android," said Hugo Barra, Google's vice president of Android product management." This API supports Android 3.1 and Android 2.3, with USB support now. Bluetooth support is forthcoming.
Exercise Bike
This Life Fitness exercise bike is compatible with Android Open Accessory, one of the exhibitors told eWEEK.
Exercise Bike Demonstration
When the user plugs the phone into the bike, the Android API recognized the accessory and an exercise application that "talks" to it. The really cool thing is that if the phone didn't already have a compatible application, it would send the user to the Android Market to download it.
Cardio Game
That Android Market application, CardioQuest, motivates people to work out on the bike. The Open Accessory API has the bike control CardioQuest. The Android has to keep from crashing.
Open Accessory Reference Design
Google released the hardware and software ADK for an Open Accessory reference design.
Google's Labyrinth
Google used the Open Accessory API for this cool labyrinth game, controlled by the Motorola Xoom tablet and a new ADK.
Serious Hardware
Here's the actual Android labyrinth game outside the keynote hall, powered by two 200-volt, 50-amp motors. The object of the game is to tilt the ball to follow a line all the way to the end without falling into any of the holes.
Play it!
These women use the Xoom and the ADK to control the bowling ball in the labyrinth. It's every bit as challenging and fun as it looks.
Android@Home
Building on the Open Accessory API is the Android@Home project. "We'd like to think of your entire home as an accessory, or better yet, as a network of accessories," said Google engineer Joe Britt. Think of Android as the operating system for your home." Google expects developers to write applications that control appliances in the home.
Lights
For devices that connect to WiFi, Google created a new wireless protocol that allows Android devices to talk to various appliances. This would cover lights, alarm clocks, dishwashers and thermostats. Here, Britt shows how to control the lights over the stage and later connects a game to the lights to make the lights flash when a user fires their virtual weapon. Britt envisions developers creating an alarm clock application that will play music when the lights go on.
Tungsten
Another application of Android@Home is Project Tungsten, which includes the Android home hub you see here.
Hub
The hub serves as both a standalone endpoint for Google's Music beta and a bridge to the Android@Home network. The hub runs both the Android OS and the Android@Home software framework. The device connects to the speakers and stereo system.
Music
In this demo, Britt shows how a user can simply tap a CD on the hub to upload the CD's entire music playlist to the Google Music cloud service. By tapping it again on the hub, the CD begins playing. The CD jewel case includes a near-field communication sensor to talk to the Android home hub.
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SAN FRANCISCO—Google made waves here at its fourth annual developer conference with its Music beta, as well as key upgrades to its Android "Honeycomb" operating system for tablets. But perhaps the biggest revelation was the Ice Cream Sandwich build that will attempt to bring Honeycomb features to smartphones and other devices with smaller screens. While that batch of news received the most cheers, the attendees (a total of 5,000) were truly impressed with Google’s plans to place Android into the home and other non-traditional mobile-computing appliances. Google unveiled Android Open Accessory, an open-source API to let developers bring Android to exercise machines and other devices from any manufacturer who opts to use the platform. Officials for the company wrapped up the May 10 keynote with Android@Home, an ambitious play to power a home's lights, alarm clocks and many other key appliances with Android. Google Android creator Andy Rubin alluded to these possibilities when he introduced the operating system in November 2007. Three and a half years later, those seeds are starting to sprout. Enjoy these pictures of the new software and appliances, which eWEEK took here at the show.