Earlier this week, we learned that Google is preparing a new smart home device for a possible release this year. FCC documents have shown that it has a display screen, uses 14V power, and is equipped with the same Soli motion-sensing technology that is used by the Pixel 4 and the Nest Thermostat. Now, a new report claims the sensor could be used to power a surprising new inclusion: sleep tracking.

Many people already put a smart screen or alarm clock on their bedside table, and thanks to the Soli sensor built into the upcoming Nest smart display, Google would be able to track your movement at night to generate useful data. It also seems likely to be used for gesture controls like playing and pausing music, much like the Pixel 4. The Nest Hub Max currently supports hand gestures, but it does. detects via optical camera.

Soli is very useful for performing common tasks on the Pixel 4 while it is running.

Tracking sleep on a smart screen might be a bit surprising, but Google has been working on ways to implement its Soli radar in more consumer-oriented products since the chip was first introduced in 2015. We know it can. be used for things. as poorly identify hand gestures and detect movements, so it follows that it could also be used to track how much you twist and turn at night.

It’s not clear exactly how the new Nest smart display will stack up against existing Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max units in terms of size or cost, but it’s clear that Google intends to launch the new product more. late this year. He’s been through the FCC before, so he could appear in the first half of 2021.

Google is probably betting on a Soli chip that is more palatable in sensitive locations than a real camera, but it remains to be seen how privacy-conscious consumers will feel about having a radar sensor monitoring their rooms all day long. night.