How Does it Work?
Haptics, or the sense of touch, is unique among the senses in that it is bilateral with two aspects rather than one. Surfaces that are touch-enabled by TanvasTouch can both provide and receive touch input. This two-way relationship between motion and force is at the heart of surface haptic technology.
What makes this innovation unique is how the technology modulates friction, the ability to both sense finger position and provide haptics simultaneously, and the haptic renderings that produce life-like effects.
TanvasTouch has no moving parts. Instead, the finger’s movement is sensed by an integrated multi-touch sensor, and surface friction is altered using a physical phenomenon called electroadhesion. This effect uses electric fields to increase friction locally as fingers slide across a smooth plane.
"Today's interaction is mostly built for the eyes, so it's pretty hard for people to imagine how it could be used. Once we get there, I don't think we'll ever want to go back to a world where we can only see."
Hong Tan, Electrical and Computer Engineering Professor at Purdue University.
How TanvasTouch is Different
Until now, haptic feedback has been limited to vibration, called vibrotactile technology. This is the familiar buzz of alerts and confirmations on your smartphone. With surface haptics, there are no moving parts. The combination of multi-touch sensing and haptics on the same layer makes TanvasTouch unlike anything on the market today.
TanvasTouch is a fully integrated solution characterized by a solid state actuator and single controller. Textures and haptic effects can be harmonized across size, shape and surface, including large and curved displays. This makes TanvasTouch a versatile solution for automotive, consumer electronics, digital signage, home automation, medical, industrial and gaming applications. View our Products or contact us to schedule a demo.