Project Soli in depth: How radar-detected gestures could set the Pixel 4 apart
Well, here's something straight out of science fiction for ya: If a pair of recent rumors is to be believed, Google may be planning to include a futuristic radar chip in its next Pixel phone — possibly to allow for a wild new kind of touch-free gesture controls.
Stop and let that sink in for a second. Crazy stuff, right?
Now, let's be clear: The chip itself is absolutely real — no question about it. Google's been talking about the thing since 2015, in fact, as part of its Motorola-born Advanced Technology and Projects (ATAP) group. That's the same group that came up with Google's now-defunct modular smartphone system, Project Ara, as well as the also-abandoned Project Tango program that aimed to create a new kind of augmented reality platform.