AAC Technologies announced a strategic partnership with UltraSense Systems to explore the company's SmartSurface tactile interfaces to create holistic touch experience solutions for automotive and consumer electronics markets. As consumers demand more intuitive touch interfaces, the AAC and UltraSense partnership can help accelerate the industry transition from mechanical buttons to solid-state digital buttons.
AAC Technologies is already a leading global players in haptics products. For this partnership, the two companies intend to fuse expertise in multi-mode sensing and haptic feedback to accelerate adoption of solid-state touch user experiences.
UltraSense Systems' TouchPoint HMI Controllers are already in production in automotive applications for infotainment systems, steering wheels, and EV motorized charge port door systems. With its HMI Controllers and In-Plane Sensing solutions, UltraSense elevates the automotive touch experience, enabling multi-mode touch sensing, backlighting, haptics feedback and processing Machine Learning algorithms to turn almost any surface into a touch surface. UltraSense offers more integrated, easier to manufacture and thinner solutions for tier-suppliers; and greater design options plus recyclability and sustainability benefits for automakers.
AAC Technologies offers product lines ranging from Haptics and Acoustics, to Optics, Sensors and Semiconductors. AAC's RichTap linear actuator motors and rendering engine achieve multi-dimensional haptic experiences across a range of scenarios. Combining the UltraSense HMI Controllers and AAC RichTap enables multi-mode touch and haptic feedback for an elevated user touch experience.
The AAC and UltraSense partnership reduces engineering development time required to fuse multi-mode touch, backlighting, and haptics as a fully integrated solution, while accelerating the ability to replace the last mechanical buttons with touch-on-metal interfaces and sliders. The result, the two companies believe, will offer a premium interactive experience by adding the complemental advantages of touch, pressure, and haptic feedback.
In addition to streamlining design and development time, the strategic agreement between UltraSense and AAC also enables joint sales and marketing opportunities with strategic customers.
"We see the demand for high-quality tactile experiences expanding from smartphones to smart cars," says Kelvin Pan, Executive Vice President of AAC Technologies. "AAC has already launched the first software/hardware integrated automotive haptics solution for smart cockpits powered by AAC's high-performance X-axis linear actuators and corresponding algorithms. Now, with UltraSense we can deliver an exceptional touch experience across virtual buttons, steering wheels and more."
"We are continuously keeping an eye on excellent companies and teams with strategic synergy to collaborate and enhance the user experience of relevant industry solutions," adds Derek Ma, Strategic Investment Director of AAC. "Sensitive perception and authentic feedback are the foundation of high-quality tactile interaction solutions. We are pleased to establish a strategic partnership with UltraSense to provide customers with the highest quality tactile interaction solutions."
"Our partnership with AAC Technologies makes it even easier for our OEMs and tier-suppliers to adopt complete touch experience solutions for smartphones and cars," states Mo Maghsoudnia, Founder and CEO of UltraSense Systems. "By combining our patented touch and force technologies and InPlane Sensing solutions with AAC's RichTap haptics solution, we together are redefining touch experiences for users while making it easier for manufacturers to adopt new solid-state technology."
Founded in 1993, AAC has more than 3,800 R&D engineers, 18 global R&D centers, 8500+ patents (including patents in application process) and nearly $3B in revenue.
www.ultrasensesys.com
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