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Google is making its smart displays more responsive to touch, and it looks like the update may be part of a larger initiative to make these devices less reliant on voice interaction. According to a new video by Jan Boromeusz (via AndroidPolice), the same person who gave us an early look at the new smart display UI, Google is reportedly testing a presence detection feature to invoke the Assistant. If this feature is enabled, users no longer have to always say “Ok Google” before speaking a command.
Presence detection will apparently be possible thanks to the ultrasonic detection functions present in the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max. On Nest Hub displays, high-frequency noise is sent through the speakers; the displays then listen to the noise to make it recover, detecting people up to five feet away.
Google has previously used presence detection to adapt the interface on smart displays accordingly. If you are further away, the elements on the screen, including alarms, timer, fonts, and other graphics, will be enlarged. Presence detection features were initially rolled out to the Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max late last year.
A video demonstrating the new presence detection initiation for Google Assistant was uploaded to YouTube. Every time the author walks up to their Nest Hub Max, the Assistant appears and waits for their command, all without using any of the Assistant’s familiar keywords. If no command is performed, the Wizard will eventually disappear.
As mentioned, a feature like this would make Google’s smart displays a little less reliant on voice. Instead of invoking the Assistant manually, users can simply zoom in on their Nest Hub. In combination with the new user interface that Google recently introduced, smart displays are suddenly much easier to touch. Ultimately, that also makes them more accessible.
Of course, adding more presence detection features to smart displays raises privacy concerns, but it’s worth noting that this feature isn’t available to everyone and you may never see the light of day. The user who uploaded this feature somehow got the internal firmware for Nest Hub Max, with a setup page for various internal test features. While this feature has yet to be introduced, you can always disable ultrasonic detection on your Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max if it really makes you feel uncomfortable.
