Google is making developing devices and apps for the Internet of Things simple with their Android Things operating system. This is actually an updated and rebranded version of Brillo, which was announced at Google I/O in 2015.
Android Things
Android Things gives devices the ability to do a large portion of computing locally instead of sending it off-device to a server. The Things SDK includes APIs that allow applications to “communicate with sensors and actuators using industry standard protocols and interfaces.” Android developers will also appreciate Android Things’s ability to use several of Android’s development tools such as the Android Software Development Kit and Android Studio.
Android Things devices will use Weave in order to connect to iOS and Android Phones. Weave was introduced at the same time as Brillo and is Google’s communication platform for Internet of Things devices. It also allows devices to connect to Google Services such as Google Assistant.
IoT Hardware Developer Kits
In addition to making development itself easier, Google’s Android Things supports multiple hardware platform kits so you can get your new IoT project started quickly. It currently supports Intel® Edison, Raspberry Pi 3 Model B, and NXP Pico i.MX6UL. Intel® Joule™ 570x and NXP Argon i.MX6UL are coming soon.
A developer preview for Android Things is currently available.
