What Google’s New Gesture Tech Means for Seniors
Google recently won approval from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to test and operate their radar-based gesture technology called Project Soli. Project Soli, born out of Google’s Advance Technology and Projects unit, allows users to control devices using only hand and finger gestures. With this approval, the FCC stated that this type of technology could help people with mobility, speech, or tactile impairments improve productivity and lead to a higher quality of life.
What Is Gesture Technology?
Gesture technology, formally called Gesture Recognition, is the mathematical interpretation of human motions to control a computer or IoT device. Simply put, gesture recognition uses a series of algorithms to predict and track what your hand motions are doing and translating those motions onto a device. It is part of what software engineers and technologist call Perceptual User Interfaces (PUI). Other components of this family include facial recognition, voice recognition, eye tracking, and lip/mouth movement.
How Does Soli Gesture Technology Work?
Generally, gesture recognition uses a series of motion sensors and cameras to feed it image data. From there, the data will run through a mathematical algorithm to interpret the gestures it receives and perform an action.
Soli, however, works entirely different. Soli uses a mini radar to detect gesture interactions with great accuracy and speed. According to its engineers, Soli uses radio waves to determine range, angel, and velocity, and electromagnetic waves to accurately detect and track complex motions by user’s hand movements and gestures. All in a tiny chip.
How Seniors Will Benefit from Gesture Technology?
By Google’s account, the possibilities for Soli is limitless. Imagine seniors opening and closing doors in their home by simply moving their hand away or towards the door, or turning on and off TVs, radios, microwaves just by tapping two fingers together. “It can be part of furniture, part of cars, a wearable computer, a watch, toys - anywhere people want to connect with devices it will be useful,” said Ivan Poupyrev, lead engineer of Soli, in an interview with Daily Mail.
