Atria Institute of Technology

(Affiliated to Visveswaraya Technological University)

Anand Nagar, Bangalore 560024.

Department of Electronics and Communication

SEMINAR SYNOPSIS
ON

Project Ara by Google

Submitted by

Bhure Amol Shivraj

(1AT09EC021)

Under the guidance of

Ms. VIBHA R

Abstract:
Todays world is highly attached with the rapidly growing technology. Especially
gadgets like smartphones, tablets, etc. are becoming an essential part of our life. User
wants good quality hardware, hardware that suffices their increasing need of
computation and that too at minimal cost. These user requirements are compromised by
todays smartphone industry due to cost.
PROJECT ARA is an initiative by Google to create a highly modular smartphone. It is
highly structured phone, which has endoskeleton and individual modules like display,
battery, camera, memory, processor etc. It is based on plug and play technique or we
can swap in and swap out individual module, so anyone can change it or upgrade it as
per requirement and reduce the electronic waste and at a highly affordable investment.
In this paper, we will discuss on its objective, differentiate specs/features and each
component with currently present smartphone in the market, which types of benefits we
are getting from it, which types of limitations and challenges we have to face and we
will also discuss future scope of this PROJECT ARA.

Introduction:
One more change that is revolutionary is going to happened in the world of smartphone
i.e. modular smartphone. Advanced Technologies and Project Team (ATAP) within
Motorola Mobility initiated this new concept in 2011, which was the concept of
phoneblok given by a Netherlands innovator David Hakkens. His main motive behind
this is to reduce electronic waste. Google had purchased some patents of modular
smartphone from Motorola mobility and they name it as Project Ara. Initial
evaluation of this project began in 2012 and implementation started on 1 April 2013.
Modular smartphone is created by using different hardware Components or we can say
that modules. It can be Customized/Replaced/Upgraded depending upon users
requirement. It contains some basic modules like Display, Camera, Battery, Processor,
Memory, Speaker, Pico-Projector, and Gaming Control Buttons. Google team started
this Concept and their Main aim is to reduce cost of hardware and to control electronic
waste. They want to give an Open Source Environment in which each module is interchangeable. User can upgrade/downgrade their smartphones specification by using
different hardware component.
The project leads under the guidance of Paul Eremenko and Regina Dugan. Both are
working in Advanced Technologies and Project Team (ATAP) organization. ATAP and
Phoneblok are working together for the project. There are two more outside contractors
i.e. NK labs and 3D Systems. Now Google decided for pilot launch of first modular
smartphone in Puerto Rico with spiral2 prototyping model, which consists of features
like 1280*720 display resolution, 5MP camera, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 3G, Processor block
and Light and Proximity Sensor. They want to test the performance as well as response

of phone by user. In addition, they are thinking about upcoming prototype i.e. spiral3
prototype with features like 4G/LTE and wireless connection.

Applications:
1.To give free and open hardware platform: As todays smartphones are in one
complete package form, it means user do not have any choice to select hardware as per
their requirement. So using PROJECT ARA, they have many more choices to choose
any hardware component as per their requirement like large storage capacity, high
display resolution, high quality camera and many more choices in their hand.

2.To reduce electronic waste: According to survey of Electronics Waste

Management of United State, maximum electronic waste is of mobile devices. The
value of wasting mobile devices is in millions in which very few are recycled and
remaining devices are trashed. So using PROJECT ARA, we can reduce electronic
waste.

Advantages:
1.Open source platform for user: The users can design their own phones, as they
want. In this, they play a role of designers, developers and customers. So there is no
need any expert or any specialist and even any license for designing a phone by which
user can make their own phone as per their requirement.
2.Reduce electronics waste: Survey of Electronic waste management of United
States says the value of mobile devices waste is in millions, which all are trashed.
Therefore, this PROJECT ARA helps us to reduce the electronic waste of mobile
devices.
3.Customization: It is the most important benefit of this phone. The user can change
its appearance and modules when they want to modify or upgrade it. It helps to user
who does not enough money to buy advanced feature phone in one time, so they can
buy starter phone with the basic features and upgrade it as their convenience.
4.Repairs are easier and cheaper: If an individual module is get fail or damage,
then user have to order it from online blokstore that is of Google or any other local and
replace the fail or damage module by new module. This makes easier from others i.e. no
need to go to shops and change it by any other unknown person.

Disadvantage:
1.It will be bigger and heavier: PROJECT ARA phone is bigger and heavier than
present standard smartphone. It is only because of its metallic body i.e. endoskeleton
and modules are made up of metal. It is 9.7 mm thick, which slightly thicker than
regular smartphones present in the market.

2.Swapping of component can cause damages: As it support hot swappable

feature, in case if anyone want to change or replace any individual module sometime it
may damages to motherboard as well as module of phone.
3.Software compatibility: It has hardware upgrade ion compatibility. It means if
any one change their modules then the old software will not work with new one. It is
difficult for Software Company to develop the software with respect to many more
hardware specifications.
4.Low performance: As phone is having endoskeleton, i.e. we can say one
structured frame, which has different module attachable slots. The slots are separate
from each other and from motherboard, which may give late response. Because of these
all, the performance of the phone will get less.

Conclusion:
Google has intended this PROJECT ARA is for those who want to decide hardware and
software specification of their own phone. Still, phone has some limitations like
performance, weight and size of the phone. So here, we conclude that, if Google can
overcome from these type limitations of this PROJECT ARA then it may be chance for
them to make a great and powerful environment in the market of smartphones.

References:
[1] http://www.projectara.com.
[2] http://www.modularforums.com/project-ara-general-discussion/24-project-araspiral-1-dev-kit-photos-appeared-internet.html.
[3] http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2014/12/01/puzzlephone-modular-smartphone-mightchallenge-googles-project-ara-2015/
[4] R. E. Sorace, V. S. Reinhardt, and S. A. Vaughn, High-speed digitalto-RF
converter, U.S. Patent 5 668 842, Sept. 16, 1997.