Alps Alpine: Strengthening future-oriented automotive HMI technology and product capabilities

 Alps Alpine and Immersion signed a licensing agreement for touch feedback technology for automotive input devices in 2000. In September last year, they signed a collaboration agreement to create Haptic®-related products, combining the solutions of both parties to create HMI products with higher operability and diversity.

In recent years, technological innovation in the CASE field of the automotive market has shown an accelerated development, and new systems that officially adopt MaaS have been developed and launched one after another. Real vehicle demonstration experiments and some services have begun to operate, and the development of the next generation of automobiles is constantly moving forward. The same is true in the field of in-vehicle HMI. The operation integration and integration of switches and knobs has accelerated, and the traditional mechanical method has gradually been replaced by touch input and voice operation, and is being upgraded to an operation method that integrates hardware and software. 

 In response to these technological developments, Alps Alpine has reviewed its licensing agreement with Immersion and is incorporating the company’s Active Sensing™ technology into its products. The company is stepping up its efforts to develop next-generation HMI products such as touchscreens, touch pads, switches, and knobs that are higher-end, faster, and more realistic, contributing to the realization of a safer and more comfortable driving environment.

Active Sensing™ technology is an optimization technology for vibration control among our touch feedback technologies. It can significantly improve the design of vibration by sensing the vibration status in real time and controlling the actuator. In addition, combined with HAPTICTMReactor, which can generate large vibration force and generate rich vibrations through two resonances, it can achieve more free vibration design and achieve product miniaturization. Furthermore, the algorithm for controlling vibration has excellent response speed, which helps to improve the user experience with excellent fast response and tactile reproducibility.

Going forward, we will work to further enhance the functionality and performance of touch feedback technology and, in combination with the software and system development capabilities of our in-vehicle information equipment business, advance the development of regional control units Note 1 and smart surfaces Note 2 to create HMI products that help elevate the level of input and output within the vehicle interior.

Note 1: This input method enables seamless operation regardless of the configuration location through the organic networking of various systems in the vehicle.

Note 2: Multifunctional high-performance surface material with input operation and display functions

(#) “Active Sensing™” is a trademark of Immersion