Amazon may be planning to emulate Google in a future Echo or Echo Show device in the form of a new sleep tracking feature

As Bloomberg noted, the retail giant has successfully applied to the Federal Communications Commission for permission to use radar to "enable contactless sleep tracking capabilities" Radar would allow users to operate the device with simple hand gestures and movements, helping people "with mobility, speech, or tactical disabilities," according to the listing

However, the main rationale in Amazon's sales pitch is sleep tracking The use of radar sensors in sleep tracking "has the potential to improve the perception and management of sleep hygiene, which in turn could provide significant health benefits to many Americans Radar sensors allow consumers to recognize potential sleep problems"

If this sounds a little familiar, that's because it's the same technology that Google has been gradually introducing over the past few years

Originally known as Project Soli, the radar chip was introduced in the Google Pixel 4, but was no longer included in last year's Pixel 5 However, Rick Osterow, Google's hardware lead, said it "will be used in the future," but that it was not appropriate for the Pixel 5 for price reasons

Sure enough, it appeared on Google's smart screens this year In a review of the second-generation Google Nest Hub, senior writer Kate Kozuch was quite impressed with its implementation, once you get past the creepy factor of having your sleep monitored by a screen

"While the Nest Hub does not provide specific sleep cycle data like some fitness trackers, the actionable sleep tracking data is among the most comprehensive I have seen for a consumer device," she wrote

Nevertheless, she noted that the sensor could prove to be a bit fickle and was defeated by accidentally placing a glass of water in front of it overnight Still, the sleep time readings proved to be within 10 minutes of her Apple Watch, and Google has a clear advantage in that the Nest Hub tracks contactlessly without the need for charging

Amazon already has a sleep tracking method for Halo band owners, but it is fair to say that the Echo has proven to be the more successful product overall in terms of sales In addition, Amazon already has several smaller Echo devices designed for the bedroom, such as the Echo Dot with Clock