Innovobot Labs, TDK, Microchip Technology, BOE Varitronix Develop Next-Gen Automotive Haptics Display

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Tech innovation and R&D design house Innovobot Labs is excited to announce that it is teaming up with three world leading technology companies to develop a next generation reference design for automotive displays. This next-gen haptics technology will be unveiled at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, Nevada, January 5-8, 2023.

TDK, a world leader in electronic solutions, will supply its patented PowerHap actuators, for sharper feeling haptics. BOE Varitronix, one of the largest manufacturers of electronic displays, will provide the screen and related controllers, while smart, embedded control solutions provider Microchip Technology Inc., will add its haptics electronics system, including amplifier and microcontroller. For its part, Innovobot Labs is responsible for overall system design and integration.

The project comes in response to a need for more cost-effective haptic technology in the automotive industry. Large dashboard screens that lack good tactile feedback are challenging to use. Providing enhanced haptics to displays in cars and trucks lets designers add "feel and texture" to buttons, as well as sliders to touchscreen elements. This makes it safer for drivers when they interact with the displays.

Currently, tier-level suppliers quote haptics at high prices because the currently available technology is challenging and risky. The product proposed by the project partners will lower the adoption barrier, allowing a broader number of suppliers to quote haptics more aggressively, with increased confidence in their ability to meet performance specifications.

"We are thrilled to be collaborating with Innovobot on the development of a new High-Definition Haptic Display to experience the advantages of the PowerHapTM piezo technology. At the same time, we are strengthening our integration know-how to support our customers in the automotive and industrial segments," says Harald Kastl, Executive Vice President at TDK Electronics GmbH.

"We are very pleased to be working closely together with Innovobot, TDK and Microchip Technology. Each company is contributing expertise and resources from our unique diverse backgrounds to achieve new creative technological breakthroughs and co-create new value. We believe that working together, we will soon bring forth more high-end, diversified and integrated vehicle display products and solutions to the market and advance our development and promotion of smart automotive solutions," adds Jack Su, CEO of BOE Varitronix.

"This collaboration is a perfect illustration of our open innovation model, where companies from diverse backgrounds come together to move the human experience forward. We are very happy to be working closely with TDK, Microchip and BOE Varitronix. It is a great feeling to know that together, we are making such a positive impact on the automotive industry," says Guy Lafond, Chief Commercial Officer at Innovobot.