Project Soli: is it the end of touch screens?
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Project Soli seeks to eliminate the touch system in different devices by means of a sensor capable of capturing human movements at close range
Project Soli is one of Google's most ambitious projects and is shaping up to become the interface of the future. It is a technology presented in 2015 by Ivan Poupyrev that aims to eliminate the touch screen system in different devices.
Leer en español: Project Soli: ¿adiós a las pantallas táctiles?
When it was presented, according to Hypertext, in March 2018, Google asked the Federal Communications Commission of the United States (FCC) for an approval to operate its system between 57 and 64 GHz, thus matching the standards of the European Institute of Telecommunications. However, Facebook showed some concerns about the possible interference that this could cause with other existing technologies.
Now, after resolving doubts about whether the technology would interfere with other devices, alien to the mobile or embedded in it, the FCC granted Google the certification to move forward with the project, according to Reuters.
The FCC has stated that this decision will "serve the public in a way that seeks innovation to control devices by hand gestures" and will allow devices with Project Soli to be used on board aircraft, although manufacturers and owners will have to comply with the regulations of the federal aviation administration.
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What is the project about?
Although it looks like science fiction, Project Soli seeks to control different devices, from mobile phones to computers, intelligent devices for dressing, and in more advanced prototypes, some vehicle controls in the future, by means of a motion sensor that captures the movement in the three-dimensional space.
Through a radar, the Soli sensor will be able to recognize the movements of the hands and fingers of the users, allowing them to operate the devices without needing to connect with them physically.
"Imagine an invisible button between your thumb and forefinger: you can press it by touching your fingers together. Or a virtual dial that rotates by rubbing the thumb against the index finger. Imagine grabbing and pulling a virtual slider in the air. These are the types of interactions we are developing and imagining", says the official website of the project, Google Atap.
In addition, Soli does not require high bandwidth or high spatial resolution, unlike traditional radar sensors, it has no moving parts, fits on a chip, consumes little power, is not affected by light conditions and works through most materials.
Although it is not well known when this technology will become a commercial product, it is evident that the field of application of this wireless advance is infinite, especially for people with reduced mobility or other types of disability.
LatinAmerican Post | Luisa Fernanda Baez
Translated from "Project Soli: ¿adiós a las pantallas táctiles?"
