Google Brillo : The Android Based OS For IoT

Google's secretly developing an operating system for the IoT (Internet of Things) called 'Brillo'. You might be wondering why does the world need another operating system from Google when Android seems to be doing quite good. Well, you may not have noticed that the latest Android Lollipop requires 512 MB of memory to function smoothly while Brillo will be required to run on low powered devices that can handle up to 32 or 64 MB of RAM. Google may make Brillo official at upcoming Google I/O 2015 @ California - May 28, 29; Only For The Lucky Ones summit.

We expect Google Brillo to be open sourced operating system to facilitate building of a dedicated developer base in the initial stages. The OS, if it not just a rumour, is likely to offer a big push for Google into the IoT domain. The number of smart devices in the world have already exceeded the number of people and the next big thing is going to be about making all these devices 'talk' to each other.

You may imagine IoT simply like this. Let's say you're driving back from a hard day at office to your home and playing your favorite song in your car. You reach your home, but the song's not over yet - and you want to continue listening to it. Based on your likings and preferences, the car will automatically connect with your home theatre system, which will access the same song from cloud - and begin playing it exactly where you left it in the car. Similarly, your refrigerator will automatically order fruits if it senses that the number of Apples in the fridge is less than 3.

All this electronic wizardry will need the home appliances to be smarter and connected to the Internet. Thanks to the rollout of World IPv6 Day: June 8. Internet Is Almost Full. that the Internet can hold much more addresses than what was possible with IPv4. The IoT hardware and software like Brillo will make this possible, allowing developers to develop communication protocols, applications and connectivity software to connect everything with each other, through the Internet.


The IoT opportunity is big too. IDC, a leading global market research firm estimates that in the coming years, by the end of this decade, the IoT industry will be about $3 trillion. Majority of this market will be formed by networked devices that promise to convert the currently 'dumb' devices and appliances into 'smart' and 'connected' ones.

Google's not the only player in this domain; but it's definitely an important one. Recently, Huawei announced a tiny, 10KB LiteOS and Samsung announced Samsung ARTIK Platform Promises To Advance IoT. We're just a few days away from Google's #-Link-Snipped-# conference. Stay tuned for updates and announcements.

Source: Google developing “Brillo” Internet of Things OS based on Android | Ars Technica