Immersion's TouchSense Technology Makes Star Appearance in Korean PNDs

Touchscreen technology has evolved quite a lot over the past few years, quite a large number of companies actively involved in making it more reliable and increasing the provided level of sensitivity. And one such company is Immersion, which has just announced that its very innovative TouchSense technology has just been licensed to be used within the PNDs produced by the Korean company CTT-Net.

CTT-Net's TouchSense-enabled products for the Korean market include the CSN-7040, a handheld PND and the CIN-7000, a built-in car navigation device. Both models feature a 7-inch touchscreen as the primary input/output mechanism and include a direct multimedia broadcast (DMB) receiver for accepting satellite downloads. When users touch the onscreen controls, the TouchSense system provides unmistakable tactile confirmation of the selection, which can improve usability. Tactile feedback may also minimize driver distraction by reducing glance-time.

It's quite a well-known fact that touchscreens offer significant advantages over dedicated mechanical controls, including immediate and nearly limitless display changes as well as space and cost savings. However, these advantages have traditionally come at the cost of losing confirming tactile feedback, which helps users intuitively understand operational status. TouchSense technology restores this confirming tactile feedback to control surfaces. In addition, independent research has shown that adding tactile feedback to touchscreens can decrease error rates, increase input speed and raise user satisfaction.

"Korea is among the world's most advanced markets for consumer navigation products, so our customers push us to constantly innovate and excel," said Shin Wook Lee, CEO of CTT-Net. "When I first experienced the way TouchSense technology could make touchscreen controls feel more responsive, I knew our users would like to have this feature."

Other licensees of Immersion's tactile touchscreen technology include LG Electronics, Nokia and Samsung (for mobile phones), 3M Touch Systems (for gaming systems) and Methode, SMK and Volkswagen (for automotive applications).

"It's exciting to deploy our touch interface technologies in personal navigation devices," said Immersion CEO Victor Viegas. "The market for these products is undergoing dramatic growth, and with nearly every new PND being designed around touchscreen input, TouchSense tactile feedback is a natural fit."

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