TDK Electronics teams up with Aito in piezo haptics

TDK Corporation announces that its subsidiary TDK Electronics is joining forces with Aito, a leading company in controller solutions for piezo haptics. Both companies will cooperate in the development and promotion of cutting-edge touch response solutions that are based on TDK’s portfolio of piezo actuators with haptic feedback and Aito’s HapticTouch control solution. Based on this partnership the product range of touch response solutions will be continually expanded.

“Together with Aito we are able to provide much more comprehensive support to customers, who are facing the challenging process of integrating haptic actuators into their applications,” explains Dr. Georg Kuegerl, CTO of the TDK Piezo & Protection Devices Business Group. “They will benefit from a fully-integrated solution that combines our piezo actuators and Aito’s smart control ICs, enabling much faster development, far better haptic performance and lower costs.”

Peter Kurstjens, CEO of Aito, stated: “TDK is well known for their reliable high-volume piezo component manufacturing and development. Their experience will help us to further strengthen our leading position in touch response solutions.”

Aito’s HapticTouch control solution transforms piezo actuators with haptic feedback into precise touch sensors that provide haptic feedback to users’ fingertips and make smooth surfaces feel like physical buttons, shapes, edges or textures. As confirmation of input on smartphone touchscreens or as replacement of traditional buttons in car interiors, the combined haptic technologies of TDK and Aito are set to enable a natural and intuitive interaction on electronic devices. For example:

• Touchscreen operation for smartphones and notebooks;
• Control and operation of automotive infotainment systems, climate controls, steering wheel controls, and touch-based gear shifters;
• Human machine interfaces for industrial and medical electronics.

Touch response solutions can be experienced at electronica 2018 in Munich from November 13 to 16 at TDK’s booth in Hall B6.105.