May 21, 2012
Haptic platform for control panels targets home appliances
HiWave Technologies launched a touch feedback platform for control panels for everyday household appliances. The platform will enable manufacturers to simplify the production process by replacing button controls with flat control panels that maintain the feel of a mechanical key press, when touched. The company is targeting the home appliance market with this technology to enable the faithful reproduction of the feel that a traditional mechanical button, switch or keypad produces when pressed on microwaves, fridge-freezers, hobs and ovens. The technology also brings benefits to industrial, commercial and medical touch control panels. The Taptic demonstration platform uses HiWave 3rd dimension haptics and incorporates two HiWave HIHXC9C005-8 haptic actuators, which attach to the back of a flat printed touch interface panel, and a HiWave HiHS9002 haptic control integrated circuit. It can work with both capacitive and resistive touch panel technologies. According to the company, the actuators precisely deliver waveforms across the panel to replicate the feel of a mechanical keypad and, if desired, simultaneously overlay audio cues. The panel can be firmly fixed, or integral in the appliance. No physical movement is necessary as bending waves create the tactile sensation locally in the touch panel.