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Google Wins US Approval For Radar-Based Hand Motion Sensor (reuters.com)

Alphabet's Google unit has won the approval from U.S. regulators to deploy a radar-based motion sensing device known as Project Soli. From a report: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) said in an order late on Monday that it would grant Google a waiver to operate the Soli sensors at higher power levels than currently allowed. The FCC said the sensors can also be operated aboard aircraft. The FCC said the decision "will serve the public interest by providing for innovative device control features using touchless hand gesture technology." The FCC said the Soli sensor captures motion in a three-dimensional space using a radar beam to enable touchless control of functions or features that can benefit users with mobility or speech impairments.

10 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. Waiver by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    So they just waved it through? That seems a bit handwavy.

  2. Re: Wow by tysonedwards · · Score: 2

    There is a huge difference in power levels required to detect gross movement (like waving an arm) and fine movement (like making a box with your index fingers and thumbs).

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    Thirty four characters live here.
  3. Re:No thanks by 50000BTU_barbecue · · Score: 2

    Cooked? It takes a microwave oven with 1500 watts of power about one minute to boil a cup of water. Assuming you weigh 150 pounds, how long would it take a million times less power to cook you?

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    Mostly random stuff.
  4. Re:Wow by Mikkeles · · Score: 2

    C'mon, this is just a radar controlled theremin; which has thousands of hour of safe use! Capacitance - radar; what's the difference!

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    Great minds think alike; fools seldom differ.
  5. FAA says no! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 2

    FAA says no!

  6. Captive Agency by datavirtue · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "will serve the public interest by providing for innovative device control features using touchless hand gesture technology"

    Sounds like one of those statements that I would write and my manager would send out in an email to the executive board with his name on it. Is it that our society is in free-fall or that life has always been like this and we are constantly faced with it due to the speed at which information now travels?

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    I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
  7. Google Wins!! by datavirtue · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Google wins, you lose. Faintly opaque commentary and missing details at 6 and 11.

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    I object to power without constructive purpose. --Spock
  8. The FCC is shutdown; unless you're Google. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The FCC is shutdown; unless you're Google.

  9. Re:No thanks by usu4rio · · Score: 2

    It won't. They're non ionizing radiation

  10. So the old power limits were too conservative? by misnohmer · · Score: 2

    The transmit power thresholds were chosen for some reason, no? Or did the FCC just pick the power levels out of a hat before? If they had valid reasons, how did those reasons change to make the higher thresholds ok today but not in the past?