Japanese electronic components manufacturer Alps Electric will introduce its latest technology. CES 2018 opens at the Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States on Jan. 9, 2018.
At CES 2018, an exposition of cutting-edge technologies brought together from around the world, Alps Electric will introduce core technologies and solutions in areas expected to gain prominence in the near future—autonomous driving, augmented reality applications and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Alps Electric possesses core technologies in three areas — human-machine interfaces, sensors and connectivity—and persistently creates electronic components of value for the customer through enrichment and fusion of those technologies. In the human-machine interface and sensor domains, Alps Electric has been selected as primary supplier of products for applications including smartphones, game consoles and automobiles; while in the connectivity domain, the company led the industry in commencing mass production of V2X modules for vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication.
For autonomous cars of the future, Alps Electric is putting forward an input device based on capacitive technology that enables gesture and touch input and control of systems around the driver. The device contributes to a comfortable user experience by allowing accurate input, such as selection of menu options, without actually making direct contact with the touch panel.
This is achieved using a highly sensitive capacitive sensor, an Alps-developed algorithm and original ASIC design. The Alps booth will present examples of solutions integrating the device with natural materials such as leather and wood, taking advantage of its excellent sensitivity and accuracy. Visitors to the booth will be able to operate them.
Alps Electric’s force feedback technology is applied in the HAPTIC Trigger Plus, a controller that realistically recreates the feel of objects. Besides recreating pressure, vibrations and thermal sensations, HAPTIC Trigger Plus includes a feature that senses finger movements using a capacitive sensor, providing for a much more immersive virtual reality control experience.
Visitors to the Alps Electric booth can try the demonstration, which recreates a variety of haptic sensations using items like a stainless steel cup, a snowman or a puppy.
