BRISTOL, England, February 21, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --
Mid-air touch-free haptics company, Ultrahaptics, has
announced a collaboration with HARMAN
International Industries, Incorporated (NYSE: HAR), the premier
connected technologies company for automotive, consumer and
enterprise markets, to incorporate
mid-air gesture haptic feedback technology into a range
of infotainment and audio systems.
(Logo:
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161101/434819LOGO )
Ultrahaptics has developed a technology that uses ultrasound to
project physical sensations onto the user's bare hands. Without the
need to wear gloves or hold special equipment, users can receive
haptic feedback for gestures they perform in mid-air. This type of
user-friendly gesture control can be used to operate infotainment
systems, such as in-car audio and connected car applications,
enabling drivers to keep their eyes on the road.
HARMAN International is a global leader in connected car
technology, lifestyle audio innovations, design and analytics,
cloud services and IoT solutions. As the market leader in connected
car solutions, there are more than 30 million vehicles currently
equipped with HARMAN's connected car and audio systems, including
embedded infotainment, telematics, connected safety and
security.
By using Ultrahaptics' technology, HARMAN has developed an
intuitive system that can control multiple in-vehicle systems,
including audio infotainment functions. The system tracks the
driver's hand movements and gives mid-air haptic feedback for
various gesture commands. Ultrahaptics and HARMAN worked together
closely to design the unique solution that combines haptic
sensations, gestural interfaces and HARMAN's custom visual
interactive graphical user interface (GUI). The system enables
drivers to simply move their hands in the air and feel the controls
to adjust their embedded infotainment system.
Speaking of the technology collaboration with Ultrahaptics,
Stefan Marti, Vice President of
Future Experience of HARMAN said: "Driver safety is paramount as
cars become more connected. The ability to track the user's hand
and give feedback for gesture commands reduces the mental load for
infotainment controls, helping drivers to remain safe on the road.
At HARMAN, we are always looking for ways to use new technology
such as that from Ultrahaptics, to provide the best and safest
solutions to our customers."
Steve Cliffe, CEO of Ultrahaptics
said: "We are incredibly excited to announce our relationship with
HARMAN. Ultrahaptics has received phenomenal market pull from many
industries, especially in areas where consumers are looking for a
technology that will replace touchscreens for many interactions.
Haptic feedback in mid-air with gesture recognition is proving to
be a very attractive option. HARMAN are an ideal collaborator, as
we continue to move towards a technology-driven future. Together,
we expect to develop some truly outstanding products."
For more information about Ultrahaptics, please visit:
http://ultrahaptics.com/
For more information about HARMAN, please visit:
https://www.harman.com/company
Heather Macdonald Tait
Ultrahaptics Limited
heather@ultrahaptics.com
Alexandra Sorton
Publitek
+44(0)1225-470000
alexandra.sorton@publitek.com
http://www.publitek.com
SOURCE Ultrahaptics