INSIGHTS / News

Bristol SETsquared member, Ultrahaptics the leading developer of ultrasonic free-space haptic technology, is working with Jaguar Land Rover in the investigation of a mid-air touch system for its Predictive Infotainment Screen to help with increasing driver safety.

Touchscreens are the control system of choice in most cars these days, but there is an increased temptation for drivers to take their eyes off the road for longer when reaching for the controls. To mitigate this, Jaguar Land Rover want to reduce the time it takes to use these controls by predicting what you are going to touch in mid-air.

Ultrahaptics’ haptic solution lets the driver’s hand be located and tracked as it moves across the interactive field; with the system locking on to the hand’s movement and creating a physical sensation to indicate connection and button presses. This means the driver can feel virtual objects such as switches and buttons without having to reach fully to the touchscreen, and will let you know when they have been engaged through the power of touch.

The CEO of Ultrahaptics Steve Cliffe explains: “We are enormously proud to have been chosen to support this safety critical technology program. Our innovation will be truly disruptive to the way we interface with the technology within our vehicles.”

Find out more about Ultrahaptics