Nissan Gets Touchy-Feely With Immersion Corp

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Oct. 26, 2001--Immersion Corp. (the leading developer and licensor of programmable, haptic technologies for automobiles, today announced that it has entered into an agreement to work with Japanese automobile manufacturer Nissan to integrate Immersion's patented TouchSense technology into Nissan's prototype vehicles. Immersion's TouchSense(TM) interactive haptic technology is based on the science of human touch which simulates tactile sensations in interactive digital environments.

Immersion has developed a haptic interface to be used as an integral part of Nissan's new Human Machine Interface (HMI). The end result is a programmable haptic controller designed to help drivers more intuitively control the various functions of the HMI with their sense of touch. The new controller has been integrated into the steering wheel of Nissan's Primera-based Concept Car, introduced this weekend at the Tokyo Motor Show on October 27th.

With the Immersion TouchSense-enabled haptic controller, drivers learn what the different areas of the HMI ``feel'' like based on unique tactile sensations. For example, it is expected drivers will not have to take their eyes off the road or hands off the wheel in order to change a radio station, turn up the air-conditioning, or utilize more advanced capabilities of Nissan's HMI.

``Haptics will transform the automobile user interfaces by allowing drivers to employ their underutilized sense of touch to help control and understand information while driving,'' said Bruce Schena, chief technology officer for Immersion. ``Nissan's new haptic controller demonstrates the potential of tactile feedback technology to reduce driver distraction and streamline design in the automotive market.''

Immersion's TouchSense technology helps improve drivers' performance by enabling them to use their sense of touch in conjunction with sight and sound. Immersion's TouchSense technology makes it easier for drivers to control new electronic features such as navigation, phone, and expanded entertainment systems with less distraction. The feel of the haptic controller automatically adjusts to provide the intuitive feeling associated with each feature, potentially reducing driver distraction. Immersion's TouchSense technology also makes it easier for manufacturers, like Nissan, to add or enhance comfort and convenience functionality.

With traditional controls, adding a feature meant additional controls and re-engineering the instrument panel configuration. With Immersion's programmable control approach, auto manufacturers can change controls in software, often without the need for new switches and displays and corresponding engineering efforts.

About Immersion Corporation (www.immersion.com)

Founded in 1993, Immersion Corp. develops and licenses advanced hardware and software technologies that let people use their sense of touch to better interact with the digital world around them. Immersion's haptic technology can be applied to virtually every digital experience including personal computing, entertainment, medical training, automotive interfaces, and three-dimensional simulation. Immersion's patented TouchSense technologies can dramatically improve computer users' performance and productivity by unlocking their sense of touch and allowing them to feel what they see and do on the computer screen. Immersion's medical simulation systems allow healthcare professionals to improve their procedural skills and increase patient safety by using ``digital patients''. Immersion and its wholly owned subsidiaries hold over 100 issued patents worldwide.