HiWave announces its first haptics controller

Targeted at handheld computing and communications devices, as well as data entry terminals and industrial control appliances, the new device is said to features low latency when receiving co-ordinates and vectors from a host system processor and delivering stored haptic signals to the transducers. Multiple haptic signals and audio cues are stored in the chip's non volatile memory to enable appropriate feedback to be generated to accompany the key press or gesture being invoked by the user. It also contains audio cues that can be delivered through the same transducers, which turn the flat panel or display into a loudspeaker. "Low latency and localisation of response are key to meaningful haptics," said HiWave's ceo, James Lewis. "Human sensitivity to tactile, audio and visual cues when using smart phones or tablet computers demands that the haptic function is independent of the system processor and operating system. HiWave is the first company to deliver such comprehensive haptic control in a single device."