(HIW) HiWave Technologies

HiWave targets 300m-unit home appliance market with its position specific haptic touch platform for printed control panels

Enables localised haptic response and programmable touch effects to replicate feeling of mechanical key press on flat panels

Cambridge, UK, May 18, 2012: HiWave Technologies (LSE:HIW), the provider of electronic devices that utilise innovative sound and touch technologies to add outstanding user appeal to consumer electronics, announces the launch of a touch feedback platform for control panels for everyday household appliances. The platform will enable manufacturers to simplify the production process by replacing button controls with flat control panels that maintain the feel of a mechanical key press, when touched.

HiWave will initially target the 300m-unit per annum home appliance market with this innovative technology to enable the faithful reproduction of the feel that a traditional mechanical button, switch or keypad produces when pressed on microwaves, fridge-freezers, hobs and ovens. The technology also brings benefits to industrial, commercial and medical touch control panels.

The Taptic™ demonstration platform uses HiWave 3^rd dimension haptics, and incorporates two HiWave HIHXC9C005-8 haptic actuators, which attach to the back of a flat printed touch interface panel, and a HiWave HiHS9002 haptic control integrated circuit. It can work with both capacitive and resistive touch panel technologies.

By using the company's patented Bending Wave technology, the actuators precisely deliver waveforms across the panel to replicate the feel of a mechanical keypad and, if desired, simultaneously overlay audio cues. The key benefit of HiWave's patented Bending Wave Haptics is that the panel can be firmly fixed, or integral in the appliance. No physical movement is necessary as bending waves create the tactile sensation locally in the touch panel. This reduces cost, increases ruggedness and product lifetime, as well as enabling the entire unit to be 'wipe clean'. Moreover, this is achieved with a high level of mechanical efficiency by HiWave's patented inertial exciters, resulting in crisp tactile sensation with low power consumption.

The flexibility provided by HiWave's algorithms processed in its haptic control chip enables haptic feedback responses to be precisely selected and tuned by both the user and manufacturer to replicate a wide range of button press sensations. The frequency of operation delivers over an octave for true wideband haptics, and up to 15kHz for audio playback. A range of audio feedbacks - from simple pings and clicks to mp3 files containing spoken instructions and music - can also be delivered without additional speakers by using the touch panel as the sound emitter.

James Lewis, CEO of HiWave said:

"The home appliance market is evolving rapidly to adopt new technologies that deliver user benefits, and we're seeing significant interest from manufacturers seeking to implement our innovative touch technologies for non-display applications. Unlike mechanical buttons, printed panels can be easily cleaned so don't harbour dirt and bacteria and are much more robust in a busy kitchen environment. Moreover, they are inexpensive to develop and produce, allowing white goods manufacturers to easily upgrade features and update the aesthetics of their products."

HiWave has filed further patents to protect its recent haptics breakthroughs, and will demonstrate the 'Taptics' reference platform in June at the Eurohaptics 2012 conference, Finland.

HiWave's 'taptics' reference platform is available for demonstration now and evaluation units will be available during Q2 of calendar year 2012. The HiHS9002 control IC and HIHX9C005-8 haptic exciters are also available immediately, in high volume quantities, from HiWave and its distributors.

Definition: Taptics is HiWave's name for true haptics that recreates the sensation of mechanical push buttons and switches in a non-moving surface.

Ends

For further information please contact:

About HiWave

HiWave Technologies PLC develops and sells electronic components and sub-assemblies that enable designers of consumer electronic devices to add outstanding user appeal to their products.

The company's expertise in human interface waveform technologies delivers a wide range of audio and haptic touch devices for the consumer and industrial applications. Its products are founded upon a unique combination of intellectual property that spans control electronics and physical components such as transducers.

Founded in late 2010, in the rebirth of NXT, the company is headquartered in the UK and has offices in Hong Kong, California and Japan. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:HIW).