Google announces Brillo, its OS for the Internet of Things
Google announced its first OS designed specifically for the Internet of Things at Google I/O 2015 today. Brillo is based on a stripped down version of Android that can run on minimal system requirements, perfect for devices like smart light bulbs, doorknobs and thermostats.
Up until now, Google has been fairly quiet on the Internet of Things front, but it did acquire connected home company Nest last year.
That's all changing with the introduction of Brillo, Google's OS designed specifically for IoT devices. Brillo is based on Android, but scrubbed down to its most basic elements (thus Brillo, like a Brillo Pad), letting it run on minimal system requirements, making it perfect for devices like smart light bulbs, doorknobs and thermostats.
An early look at how Brillo might work.
In addition to Brillo, Google announced Weave a cross platform common language (based on JSON) that will let Brillo devices, phones, and the Internet all talk to one another. Android devices will auto-detect Brillo and Weave devices. Here's a helpful chart to explain the relation:
Brillo will be available to developers in Q3 this year, with Weave to follow in Q4.
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