3D capability is coming to the realm of smartphones and tablets.

In February, Google began unleashing prototypes of a phone with advanced sensors that could – among other things – create 3D maps of a user’s surroundings. Now, according to a report from CNET, the giant technology company is pushing one step further, developing a full-sized tablet that will supposedly be able to render 3D images of any object.

The new device will be a 7-inch tablet, and like the 3D smartphone before it, will first be released to testers in prototype kit form. Google has said that about 4,000 prototypes will be produced, different from the 200 prototypes that were initially developed for the 3D mapping smartphone. Both devices were created by “Project Tango,” a group within Google’s ATAP division (Advanced Technology and Projects), that works on developing new concepts and platforms for the Android operating system.

The Project Tango tablet will boast infrared depth sensors, two rear-facing cameras, and a software program advanced enough to track the motion of the device on three different planes. Like the smartphone that came before it, the tablet will be able to generate 3D maps of a user’s surroundings.

The question that many will ask, of course, is why this 3D imaging and mapping is even necessary on a smartphone. Google has given several suggestions, from 3D augmented reality video games to navigation systems for the visually impaired. Either way, the software capabilities will certainly give Android app developers something to think about if Project Tango ever becomes a fixture in the mainstream.