Immersion Corp. (NASDAQ: IMMR), the leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology, today announced a new license agreement with ALPS ALPINE Co., Ltd. for the use of Immersion’s Active Sensing™ technology in Alps Alpine’s touch feedback devices. The new Active Sensing technology-enabled product solutions deliver high-quality, high-fidelity and quick-to-respond tactile effects for improved user experiences in automotive human-machine interfaces (HMIs).
Touch feedback technology makes it safer for drivers to operate a vehicle’s HMI and reduces driver distraction. As the first licensee of Active Sensing technology, Alps Alpine can provide advanced realistic touch feedback solutions to automotive HMI applications for buttons, dials, switches and textures in suspended touch displays and surfaces. With higher fidelity haptics, automakers can introduce advanced features and continue to evolve the user experience in the car.
Active Sensing technology is an advancement beyond standard haptic software technologies. It provides real-time control over actuator vibrations enabling clean, crisp and instant responses to a user’s interaction. It uses a robust algorithm to react to the actuator’s current state, making command decisions every sub-millisecond to produce high-fidelity haptic effects.
“We received positive feedback from our customers at CES 2020 on the product demo that combined Immersion’s Active Sensing technology and Alps Alpine’s actuators and advanced touch surface technologies,” said Yasuo Sasao, Director, Senior Vice President, Engineering, ALPS ALPINE CO., LTD. “We’re excited to grow our collaboration with Immersion and produce additional haptic solutions for the market.”
“This new phase of technology collaboration and product license with Alps Alpine signifies an important milestone for Active Sensing technology,” said Jared Smith, VP of Worldwide Sales at Immersion. “Active Sensing technology will take us to a new level of haptic capabilities and enable many more use cases in the market. We are proud to take this next step with Alps Alpine for the ongoing advancement of haptic technology.”
This licensing agreement builds upon a long-standing collaboration between Immersion and Alps Alpine to jointly develop and co-market new haptic solutions.