Google used the occasion of CES XNUMX to launch Ripple, an open protocol standard for integrating radar capabilities into consumer devices. Companies like Ford, Texas Instruments and blood sensor maker Blumio are already on board.
CES host, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), is blanketing Ripple for the time being, with the aim of "enabling hardware/software interoperability and expediting the development of general-purpose consumer radar apps."
As 9to5Google pointed out, the initiative comes from Google's Advanced Technology & Projects (ATAP) group, previously responsible for Project Soli, a miniature radar technology built into the Pixel XNUMX, Pixel XNUMX XL, and second-generation Nest Hub.
the domino effect
These Google devices have tested certain uses for radar components: noticing hand gestures over a phone, for example, and monitoring your movements while you sleep without the need for a wearable device. However, even within Google's family of hardware devices, the technology has not been widely adopted.
Ripple is expected to facilitate the participation of other manufacturers and software developers, and semiconductor manufacturers Infineon and NXP have also signed on to the project. It remains to be seen how long it will be before we see new devices in the wake of Ripple.
“Ripple will unlock useful innovation that wins everyone,” said Ivan Poupyrev, director of engineering and technical projects at Google ATAP. “General-purpose radar is a key emerging technology for solving critical use cases in a privacy-friendly way. "
Analysis: Radar is more useful than you think
If you have used a Pixel XNUMX or Pixel XNUMX XL, you will know that the motion detection radar module that they include can be quite useful, not only to recognize gestures, but also to warn when the device is moving. And when does it move? about to be raised (alarms can become stealthier when approaching to turn them off, for example).
Google hasn't packed the exact same capabilities into the Pixel XNUMX or Pixel XNUMX phones, despite rumors that it's always invested in technology for the long haul. However, a radar-powered sensor has been built into the newer Nest Hub, letting you monitor your sleep from bedside.
The Ripple team suggests potential applications, including noninvasive wellness monitoring, building occupancy detection, human activity recognition (for everything from exercise tracking to fall detection), and contactless gesture controls. As The Verge points out, this could also activate driver assistance technologies inside cars.
Most of these quirks can be achieved with cameras and other types of sensors, but miniaturized radar offers advantages in speed and accuracy that other approaches cannot match. Now, the radar components are developed in a unique and adapted way, which Ripple intends to change.