Discover what makes it possible to physically feel haptic effects and textures on a touchscreen.


 

Overview

TanvasTouch is a new type of multi-touch haptic technology that brings software-defined textures and effects to touch-enabled surfaces. Our surface haptics create a new level of interaction that can be felt with the swipe of finger on touchscreens, trackpads and physical surfaces.

TanvasTouch requires the interaction of both hardware and software.

 

TanvasTouch Hardware

The touch surface of a TanvasTouch-enabled device has been engineered by Tanvas to enable precise fingertip tracking and simultaneous haptic rendering. The surface is similar to existing projected capacitance touch sensors in smartphones and tablets, but a few key differences in the manufacturing steps enable us to change the surface friction programmatically. Behind the actual touch surface sits custom electronics that track touch locations on the screen. In coordination with the TanvasTouch Engine in software, the electronics precisely deliver real-time variable friction to each fingertip in contact with the surface.

 

TanvasTouch Engine & API

Tanvas has developed software interfaces to manage and render all haptic interactions on the screen. Individual applications simply use our API to register haptic interactions with the TanvasTouch Engine. This unique architecture enables low-latency haptic effects without the effort of building custom interactions at the app-level. Using Tanvas’ software-defined haptics, building haptic experiences has never been easier.