Google’s New Radar Motion Technology, Soli

After the immensely satisfactory and innovative 2018, 2019 has yet to properly start. However, it has been already graced with a new technological innovation. Various experts believe that 2019 will be the year that technology will see the most improvement whether it be gaming, appliances, or accessories, and they weren’t wrong.

Soli is the newest technological milestone from the minds at Google, which is still in the prototype stage. Soli is a short distance radar sensing device, which can be controlled through gestures and can even read and sense hand signs.

Google had been working on this project for some time, but due to the ban of the FCC on 57-64 GHz frequency they could not continue further work on the project. However, in late 2018, the company soon received approval from the FCC to further work on the project.

The project tends to use very specific and precise radar technology to sense motion and movement. This means that only by using gestures and signs, the device will perform a specific set of functions. The FCC allowed this frequency mostly in part due to the fact that this technology will be able to greatly help people who lack certain tactile skills or suffer from any disability.

Unlike the rest of the industry that relies on cameras or accelerometers, Google is using a very precise short range radar that can pick up subtle cues. Experiments with Soli have gone as far as the device being able to count playing cards and also recognizing the structure of buildings made of legos.

Final Thoughts

Although Soli probably has a long way to go before it can properly becomes a finished product, many believe that this will greatly change the way we use and control our daily items. With its implementation in phones and smart watches, this is a product that you would mostly expect in Science fiction movies, yet it is here.

Image source: Google ATAP/YouTube