Google’s New Sodar Tool Helps Android Smartphone Users Maintain Social Distancing

Smartphone end users have a new way to keep their distance — a software that lets them know when folks are obtaining closer than pandemic rules propose.

The Google-designed Sodar software out there this week faucets into Android smartphone cameras to place end users in the centre of a white circle with a radius of about two meters, or 6.five feet.

The perimeter, decided primarily based on pandemic social distancing rules, is produced working with the similar form of augmented fact technologies in smartphone video games these as Pokemon Go.

Circles superimposed on surroundings shift with end users, trying to keep smartphones in the centre. Customers get a visual warning when they are inside of the perhaps harmful radius.

Sodar is effective by way of Google-produced Chrome browsers on Android smartphones that guidance augmented fact, in accordance to the California-primarily based web company.

“This experiment makes use of (the software method interface) WebXR to visualise 2-metre social-distancing rules in your natural environment,” a message at the website claimed.

The software came out of an “Experiments With Google” venture on technologies hacks to assistance folks cope with the coronavirus pandemic.

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