What is Soli?

Soli is one of the projects of the Google ATAP group (Project and advanced technology).
Soli was officially announced on Google I / O 2015.
Soli is one of the new gesture detection technologies for human-computer interaction.
Soli is technically a millimetre-wave radar that can detect micromovement of the human hand. Millimeter-wave radar transmits electromagnetic waves of wavelengths from 1 mm to 10 mm, which are longer than infrared and X-rays, but smaller compared to radio waves and microwaves.

How Soli Works?

Soli is based on the principle of RADAR (Radio Detection and Ranging). Radar is an object detection system that uses radio waves to determine the range, angle, and speed of objects.
A modulated electromagnetic wave is emitted towards a moving target that scatters the transmitted radiation with a portion of the energy redirected towards the radar, where it is intercepted by the receiving antenna.
Phase or frequency shift, time delay, and amplitude attenuation capture rich information about target properties such as speed, size, shape, surface, material, smoothness, and distance orientation.
Rather than static shapes, the key to soli interaction is motion, range, and speed, where the sensor can accurately detect and track complex motion components caused by the user's hand motion and hand gesture. within the detection field.

Virtual Tool Gestures

Imagine an invisible button between your index finger and thumb, you can press it by touching your fingers together or a virtual dial that rotates by rubbing your thumb against your index finger or a virtual slider that can grab and throw in midair.
Although these controls are virtual, the interactions feel responsive and physical. Feedback is generated through haptic sensations of the fingers when touching the fingers to each other. These virtual tools can take the precision of our natural movement from the human hand.

Applications 

Soli is basically a future technology. There are many applications of Soli. Some of the applications of Soli are:
Smart Device, VR and VR headset, IOT, Music, Gaming and also Medical field.

Advantages

Soli is one of the projects of Google ATAP(Advanced Technology and Project) group. There are many advantages of Soli. Some of the main advantages of Soli are:
  • Replace all kinds of input buttons.
  • Devices can be operated wirelessly.
  • Devices can be controlled without touching them.
  • Very small in size.
  • Low power consumption.
  • Extremely fast and highly precise.
  • Replaces sensing technologies.
  • Insensitive to the light, noise or atmospheric conditions.
  • Good Accuracy over control.
  • Allow to Control all the gadgets with Gestures.
  • No moving in parts in Soli Chip.

Disadvantages

Every technology has its disadvantages but Soli has a little bit. Some of the disadvantages of Soli are:
  • It has a small RADAR range. 
  • Multiple gestures could not be possible.
  • Gestures will be predefined.
  • Security Threat.
  • Highly Expensive.


An article by Munna Suprathik