Google's New Android Operating System for Building IoT-Connected Devices

Google has launched a new Android operating system for building IoT-connected devices.

The new Android Things developer platform combines multiple layers of Android and Google tools, including Google Cloud Platform, Android Studio and Brillo (Android’s former IoT operating system).

“Now any Android developer can quickly build a smart device using Android APIs and Google services, while staying highly secure with updates direct from Google,” Google Developer Advocate Wayne Piekarski said in a blog post.

Google said users of the new IoT OS will receive patches, security fixes, updates and connectivity to Google Weave in upcoming months. Weave is an IoT communications platform.

An update to the Weave platform accompanied the Android Things announcement. Google said it will be enhancing Weave by adding new device types, custom traits and a mobile application API. The company said manufacturers like Samsung SmartThings, Belkin WeMo and Honeywell currently use Weave or are getting ready to implement it. Google is beginning to merge Weave with Nest Weave, a network and application protocol for supporting connected products, in order to increase the number of devices that can connect with each other reliably.

“So whether you started with Google Weave or Nest Weave, there is a path forward in the ecosystem. This is just the beginning of the IoT ecosystem we want to build with you,” Piekarski said.

Google recommended that Android Things developers check out turnkey hardware solutions for building actual connected devices; those hardware solutions include Intel Edison, NXP Pico and Raspberry Pi 3.