Google [1] has won US regulatory approval[2] to go ahead with a radar-based motion sensor that could make touchscreens look obsolete in the coming years. Known as the Soli Project, the initiative began in 2015[3] inside Google’s the Advanced Technology and Projects unit, a group responsible for turning the giant’s cutting-edge ideas into products.
We’ve seen a number of Soli’s technological breakthroughs since then, from being able to identify objects[4] to reducing the radar sensor’s power consumption.[5] Most recently, a regulatory order is set to move it into a more actionable phase. The US Federal Communications Commission said earlier this week that it would grant Project Soli a waiver[6] to operate at higher power levels than currently allowed. The government agency also said users can operate the sensor aboard a plane because the device poses “minimal potential of causing harmful interference to other spectrum users.”
Soli fits radar sensors into a tiny chip the size of an American quarter to track slight hand or finger motions at high speed and accuracy[7]. That means instead of twisting a knob to adjust the volume of your stereo, you can rub your fingers over a speaker that contains a Soli chip as if sliding across a virtual dial. Under the regulatory order, you would also be allowed to air press a button on your Soli-powered smartwatch in the future.
Aside from clearing safety concerns, the FCC also found that the sensing tech serves the public interest: “The ability to recognize users’ touchless hand gestures to control a device, such as a smartphone, could help people with mobility, speech, or tactile impairments, which in turn could lead to higher productivity and quality...