The promise of wearable devices has notably faded, and the limits of their interfaces have taken a heavy toll. Regardless of what manufacturers think, most users do not want to live "pointing" their fingers at a two-inch screen (or less). Google's ATAP division presented an alternative called Soli back in June 2015, which relies on gesture recognition using radar technology. Today, the project needs to run at higher power to continue evolving, and the US FCC has decided to authorize that jump.
Google often shows erratic performance when it comes to cutting projects. Some were retired despite user complaints (Google Reader comes to mind), while others continued even when rejection was widespread (Google Plus). However, several of its initiatives continue quietly without much press attention. For example, Google Glass was not cancelled; it found a new life as an "Enterprise Edition" outside the general market. Another project still alive in the bowels of Mountain View is Soli, that gesture recognition system based on mini radars developed by the ATAP group. What did Google do this time?
More power for Soli
In essence, Google asked the FCC for permission to use more power. The company submitted a request last March explaining that Soli needs access to a higher frequency band than that agency authorizes, and indicated that the new levels are on par with European ETSI standards. In fact, the FCC would have been one of the main obstacles to Soli's evolution. Power limits caused registration problems, ignored gestures, and a very poor user experience. Added to this is a complaint from Facebook. Representatives of the social network highlighted the possibility of interference with other technologies, but if anyone expected a war over this, they were disappointed. Google reviewed its power parameters in September, Facebook confirmed they would cause no problems, and the FCC finally authorized the change.
What does the FCC approval mean?
Another interesting aspect is that the original FCC text enables the "certification and marketing" of the Soli sensor. Now, that does not mean Google will turn Soli into a standalone product. In fact, I think it could have a better future being directly integrated into smartwatches and smartphones. However, the real question is: Do we need this? Will the average user bother to learn gestures to avoid touching a screen? The market has responded by walking in the other direction, that is, increasing the screen size on mobile devices to gain comfort. I am glad to know that Soli will be able to continue (and perhaps shut me up later), but I have doubts.
Source: 9to5Google. Access the document (PDF): FCC document.
