You can now save $500 on a Project Tango 3D-mapping tablet.

Project Tango is a project headed by Google’s Advanced Technology and Projects group and consists of phone and tablet prototypes capable of tracking 3D motion and creating a 3D model of the surrounding environment. ATAP kicked off the project by doling out prototype development kits to select developers in early 2014.

According to Android Police, some developers were recently invited by Google to try the Android-powered Tango tablet, which can perform real-time 3D spatial mapping, and that they'll be among the first to get the tablet at its new price. Google plans to offer the tablet for $512 - half of its original $1,024 price tag.

A few people on Twitter have reported receiving the same email from Google, which further asserted that the company is getting ready to "open up sales more broadly". That doesn't mean consumers will get their hands on the tablet soon. Google told Engadget that it is simply trying to encourage more developers to join.

Project Tango was thought to hit retail shelves sometime this year through a hardware partnership with LG, but there's been hardly any news about whether everything is still on track. And with this most recent price change for developers alone, it looks like Google still isn't ready to do a full consumer launch.

google cuts price of project tango tablet in half but keeps it developer only image 2