With our HAPTICORE actuators, you can generate freely programmable, rotative haptic feedback.
Find out more about rotary haptic feedback and how you can create almost any mechanical haptic pattern from conventional control elements based on the basic haptic functions of ticks, torque and barriers.
Do you want to create a completely new user experience? With our extended features, you can use the entire scope of functions of our actuators.
Customize the number and strength of individual, angle-based tactile sensations.
Adjust the basic torque or even fully lock of your input device.
Limit the action radius of your input device with distinctive end stops.
Mechanical input devices such as buttons, dials, or thumb and scroll wheels feature a fixed mechanical grid. This way you limit your input device to for example 12, 20, or 24 steps/rotation and need to adapt your user interface accordingly.
But wouldn’t it be much easier if your input device’s tactile feedback would match your user interface needs? With HAPTICORE, you can adjust the haptic feedback in real-time and optimize it for any menu level, whether it’s a timer, an on/off switch, a main menu, or a long list.
Soft or fine ticks are haptic sensations with a small angular distance. The angle is usually between 2-6°, which means that you can feel up to 180 ticks during a full rotation.
The haptic feedback can be compared to that of several mouse scroll wheels or radio knobs and feels like a fine ratchet. A soft tick pattern is particularly suitable for menus with many entries such as lists or timers.
Tick patterns, which we refer to as medium ticks, can be compared with the grid pattern of a variety of conventional household appliances such as dryers or washing machines.
A pleasant medium tick pattern can e.g. feature 10 individual haptic sensations with a pronounced tick strength. This makes it easy and reliable to distinguish between individual menu options in your user interface.
Rough tick patterns usually contain fewer, yet very distinctive steps. You can use rough tick patterns for functions such as an on/off switch or to navigate through simple structured main menus.
The distinguishable haptic sensations guarantee reliable and targeted device control, even in demanding situations or when operating the device with gloves.
By applying a constant current to the coil, the basic torque of the rotary actuator can be increased. This way, it is also possible to generate a full lockout for the recommended finger force of the HAPTICORE actuator.
A higher basic torque can be used either situationally, e.g. to prevent incorrect inputs in the event of environmental vibrations, or to change the perception of individual menu interfaces. Based on our experience and customer feedback, users potentially perceive an increased basic torque as a superior user experience.
As long as no current is applied, the HAPTICORE actuator rotates freely and only the basic torque of the actuator can be felt. However, the sensor remains active and reliably detects the movement of your input device.
The None mode is suitable for integrating a child safety mechanism, for example, and intentionally restricts the operation of the device.
Increasing the basic torque may sound strange at first, but it offers several advantages when designing your user interface.
On the one hand, increased torque can improve fine adjustment, for example, if the user has to apply more force to select values that are close to each other. On the other hand, our customers’ experience shows that users tend to associate increased base torque with higher quality.
Comparable to the None mode, the Lock mode is an impressive haptic function allowing the situation-dependent restriction of the device operation.
According to the application and purpose, we use different HAPTICORE actuators with varying maximum torque. During the design phase, we will be happy to consult you on the use of the lock function and find the right actuator for your requirements.
Barriers are an important part of many rotary control elements and provide a clear mechanical indication of the maximum or minimum. However, although barriers provide clear guidance, they limit the controls to a single functionality.
With HAPTICORE you can position barriers or end stops flexibly and thus limit the rotation angle from the reference point in either direction. It is up to you to define how wide the usage corridor will be. Be it narrow for a pure on/off switch, 180° degrees for a main menu with several selection options, or variable at the starting point of a timer or the ends of a list.
With HAPTICORE, you can freely define the angle of the barrier and thus limit the operating radius to a specific angle.
Do you have several settings options or your menu changes in lenght? The barrier corridor can adapt dynamically and still reliably indicate the limits.
Does a menu level only lead in one way? With HAPTICORE, you can use a unidirectional tactile barrier to guide users in the right direction.
Freely combine all haptic basic functions using our software tools.
Customize the haptic feedback of your input device for each menu level and any interaction with your device.
How does it feel?
Imagine the menu of a washing machine where you can choose between different temperatures.
Combination of a rough tick pattern with 5 ticks at 30° intervals and a 180° barrier.
How does it feel?
Imagine an on/off switch with a dimming function, e.g. to adjust the volume or brightness.
180° barrier, starting from 0° after switching the haptics combined with a distinctive initial tick and subsequent soft ticks.
How does it feel?
Imagine you increase the volume and are notified of potentially harmful noises when the volume exceeds e.g. 60%.
270° barrier with a fine tick pattern from 180° to the end stop.
In addition to the basic functions and the combination of these, HAPTICORE offers entirely new haptic feedback patterns.
By using speed- and direction-dependent haptic feedback modes, generated by using a precise sensor signal, you can make the device operation even more user-friendly.
By accurately measuring the rotation speed, you can even dynamically adjust the haptic feedback.
The speed-dependent change from a soft tick grid to idle torque for example – so-called freewheeling – allows users to browse through long menus much more efficiently.
The sensor systems we use for HAPTICORE can detect the rotational direction of the actuator with extreme precision.
As soon as the direction of rotation is changed, the haptic feedback changes in real-time. This allows you to map both the clockwise and counter-clockwise directions with individual haptic feedback patterns.
Email: mail@xeeltech.com
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4800 Attnang-Puchheim
Austria
XeelTech Engineering Office
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4851 Gampern
Austria
XeelTech is a founding member of the Haptics Alliance.
