What is Project Soli? Gestures of Soli?

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What is Soli?

Soli is one of the projects of Google ATAP(Advanced Technology and Project) group.
Soli was officially announced in Google I/O 2015.
Soli is one of the new gesture sensing technology for human-computer interaction.
Soli is technically millimeter-wave radar that can detect micromotion of the human hand. A millimeter-wave radar transmits electromagnetic waves of wavelength 1mm to 10mm which are longer than infrared rays and X-rays but smaller compared to the radio waves and microwaves.

Project Soli

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 velocity of the objects.
A modulated electromagnetic wave is emitted towards a moving target that scatters the transmitted radiation with some portion of energy redirected back towards the Radar where it intercepted by the receiving antenna.
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The phase or frequency shift, time delay, and amplitude attenuation capture rich information about the target’s properties, such as distance velocity, size, shape, surface, material, smoothness, and orientation.
Instead of static shapes, the key to soli interaction is motion, range, and velocity, where the sensor can accurately detect and track components of complex motions caused by a user’s hand moving and gesturing within sensing field.

Simulation of Wave Recognition

Simulation of Wave Recognition

Virtual Tool Gestures

Imagine an invisible button between your index finger and thumb, you can press it by tapping your fingers together or a virtual dial that turns by rubbing thumb against the index finger or a virtual slider that you can grab and pull in thin air.
                                              
Virtual button Gesture
Button

Virtual slider Gesture
Slider

Virtual dial Gesture
Dial
Even though these controls are virtual, the interactions feel responsive and physical. Feedback is generated through haptic sensations of fingers by touching fingers with each other. These virtual tools can take the precision of our natural human hand motion.

Applications 

Soli is basically a future technology. There are many applications of Soli. Some of the applications of Soli are:

  • Smart devices.
  • VR and AR headsets.
  • IOT.
  • Music.
  • Gaming.
  • 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.

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