The way people interface with the increasing number of machines around us is changing. Where we once typed on a keyboard and manipulated with a mouse, we now swipe, pinch and tap on a glass surface with touch screens operating everything from our mobile phones to our coffee machines. A new generation of interface is emerging which doesn’t even require physical contact with our device controls. Gesture recognition will revolutionise Human Machine Interation (HMI) freeing users from a two-dimensional interface. But gesture recognition lacks the touch feedback of a physical world. Ultrahaptics provides a remarkable connection with technology. Just like a physical switch, users can feel themselves interacting in mid-air. Haptic feedback allows users to know that their commands have been received by the devices. This ultrasonic technology is the missing piece to a seamless, intuitive gesture recognition experience.
This main aim of the project is to bring this technology to applications across multiple markets. The project has allowed Ultrahaptics to create two development kits, a B2B product and software tools where engineers across automotive, industrial, appliance and many other markets can quickly evaluate how mid-air touch will differentiate their product by making mid-air controls intuitive and responsive for the first time. The project has directly supported rapid growth of the company, reinforcing Ultrahaptics to be the global leader in mid-air haptics technology and the only company that offers mid-air haptics development kits available for purchase from distributors.
