Google’s ‘Project Soli’, an experimental division that has been working on bringing out products that work by hand gestures from afar, just got a step closer to realization with the US Federal Communication Commission (FCC) granting it approval to operate at higher power levels.
Project Soli, which launched a tiny radar project in 2015, has been struggling to implement it in products as the power levels sanctioned by federal authorities were not sufficient for wringing better accuracy in the gestures.
The project proposes using gestures like rubbing your thumb and index finger together to control a smartwatch or smart speaker, potentially allowing you to turn music on or off on a smart speaker by flicking your fingers. However, the tiny radar sensors inside the speakers or smartwatches were not capable of accurately identifying the user gestures.
Technicians at Google attributed these problems to the low power levels the smartwatch had to operate on due to the Federal Communication Commission’s restrictions. In March, Google applied for a waiver from the FCC to operate at higher power levels. Though initially Facebook protested that giving Google higher radar levels could mess with existing technology, the two online giants later compromised. Google agreed to lower power levels than what it had first proposed, and in exchange, Facebook backed down from opposing the waiver.
Following the understanding and after determining that Project Soli could serve public interest and had little potential for causing harm, the FCC granted the waiver to Google on 31 December. The FCC approval will allow the project to move forward and will probably bring us closer to the day when interactive touchless smart speakers, displays and other devices become the norm, while also aiding those users who have slight mobility or tactile impairments.
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