Touchscreens in consumer electronics simplify product design and reduce cost by eliminating the need for buttons and knobs. But, smooth glass plates wipe out a key sensory experience; you lose the feel of what's going on, causing uncertainty, higher error rates, and slower data entry speeds. Effective stimulation of neural receptors is highly dependent on the speed and accuracy of movement. Reflex is the only actuator technology on the market delivering authentic tactile feedback of a simple button click to the touchscreen.
The New Dimension of Touch
Human touch perception is complex. When you touch something, the pressure, intensity, speed and acceleration you feel are a direct result of the stimulation. A touch can feel like a hammer smashing down on your skin or a feather brushing across it – very different sensory perceptions.
Current consumer electronics devices bring the hammer, but not the feather! AMI's high fidelity haptics recreate those extreme sensations and many in between to deliver the 'real feel.' As a result, Reflex brings interest and excitement to any electronic device. When tactile feedback provides guidance, web browsing and menu navigation becomes more intuitive. Games are more stimulating when Reflex effectively integrates sight, sound and touch. Depending on how you apply Reflex, the smooth glass touchscreen feels like keys on a keyboard or coarse sand paper.
Consider this example; the first ultrasound is an exciting moment for every expecting couple. Imagine the excitement. You can see and hear the baby's heartbeat, but when you touch the screen, you can feel it too! Reflex is the only technology that can create this emotional experience. Then imagine sharing the experience live with "grandma" – she can feel the baby's heartbeat on her cell phone. Reflex can make technology personal again.
Realistic effects enrich the user experience and build a strong emotional connection
Reflex Technology
High fidelity haptics uses a fast acting actuator to produce complex tactile effects. Reflex provides a nearly instantaneous response to an input signal to produce real-time effects. In contrast, the slow rise time of vibrating motors creates a lag that disassociates the effect from the event. The coarse motion of the motor cannot duplicate the delicate effect of a button click, never mind a heartbeat. The only capable technology is Reflex.
The output of a Reflex actuator is directly proportional to the input signal. The combination of fast response and proportional output enables Reflex to accurately reproduce any waveform. Haptics are no longer restricted to simple effects running at fixed frequencies. A basic audio signal can drive Reflex to complex and stimulating effects. And content developers now have the freedom to design an unlimited array of haptic effects.
Reflex actuators easily integrate into product designs and can be made into a range of shapes and sizes. They can also be designed to move in multiple directions, even simultaneously. They are also inherently quiet, power efficient, scalable, and durable. This printed electronics solution based on polymer technology is a versatile and cost effective solution.
From handsets to tabletops, Reflex has the "muscle" to do the job.
