• by Laurie Sullivan  @lauriesullivan, May 29, 2015

Levi's, one of the first clothing manufacturers to experiment with radio frequency identification technology, has partnered with Google to create smart clothing. Through Project Jacquard, the two aim to create conductive textile material that can be woven into any fabric.

The announcement was made at Google I/O, but a video on YouTube shows how Google's Advanced Technology and Purchase (ATAP) research team created the material and worked with several textile makers to weave it into materials in a variety of colors and fabrics.

Conductive materials -- the same type used in semiconductors -- are woven throughout the fabric, allowing people to search, find, and receive information through a variety of technology. By decoupling the technology, Google can turn search and discovery into a function that doesn't require a screen.

Google also spoke about Project Soli, a tiny radar-based sensor that lets people control devices with their fingers in without the real presence of the physical object being there.

Soli comes from a radar signal. The person's hands and fingertips become the interface. The chip picks up movements in real time, alerting the signals as the person moves. Google said people can use it to interact with wearable devices.

The radar signals senses and interprets human intent, explains Patrick Amihood. In fact it can sense the tiniest motions. An action by the hand can complete the task without the physical object being present such as turning up or down volume on a smartphone.