This week, at Google I/O 2016 event, the high-tech giant company may focus on virtual reality, artificial intelligence, digital assistants and autonomous cars, besides the Android.
According to Google's page, on the event, there are scheduled many conferences on the topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual reality (VR). These are among the main trends in Google's focus on development and research.
Computerworld reports that usually, Google I/O conference was used to advance Chrome and Android. But at this week's event, the audiences are expecting to hear more about artificial intelligence and virtual reality.
The same publication cites Jeff Kagan, an independent industry analyst who said that in his opinion, this year Google's focus will be on virtual reality. The company aims to become a leader in the field and conquer a big share of a marketplace where there are no big competitors yet.
Kagan added that Google may even try to launch its own early- generation virtual reality device at the company's annual developer conference. The Google I/O event is attended by more than 6,000 participants.
This year, the conference is being held in the city where Google is headquartered, in Mountain View, California. The event is scheduled at the Shoreline Amphitheatre, from Wednesday through Friday.
Usually, the conference was taking place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. A change in its location is among the differences for this year. However, a bigger and more profound change consists in a shift in Google's strategies.
Tech analysts expect that the company will use the outdoor fairplex to showcase advances in its drones, robotics and autonomous cars. Jack Gold, an analyst with J.Gold Associates, said that in his opinion Google will show its skills at powering autonomous vehicles, from self-driving garbage tracks to autonomous wheelchairs for people with disabilities, systems that find an open parking space for one's car and drones.
Gold added that this can be seen as the same kind of race companies went through in powering smartphones. Back then, Google won big against the competition. Now the high-tech giant is aiming to position itself as the power behind the next wave of robotic gadgets and autonomous vehicles.
Scott Strawn, an analyst with IDC, also said that he thinks Google will display at the event some of its driverless cars. After the former head of Google's robotics division Andy Rubin left, it is not clear yet how much progress the company has made with its robotics program. However, lately Google's autonomous cars have been often in the media and this may suggest that some kind of unveiling will happen this week.
