First Personal Navigation Devices With Immersion's Tactile Feedback to Launch

SAN JOSE, Calif.--Immersion Corporation , a leading developer and licensor of touch feedback technology (http://www.immersion.com/corporate/), announces that a new licensee, CTT-Net of Korea, is launching the world’s first personal navigation devices (PNDs) that use Immersion’s TouchSense^® technology to provide tactile feedback for touchscreen interactions.

“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.”

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.

Use of touchscreens as the primary interface mechanism in portable consumer electronics devices like PNDs, mobile phones, media players, and game consoles is on the rise. Japan’s Nomura Securities has predicted the touchscreen market would increase from about $900 million in 2006 to $1.5 billion by 2008. U.S. research consultancy Venture Development Corporation estimates the touchscreen market grows 10% annually.(1)

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,(2) increase input speed,(3) and raise user satisfaction.(4)

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.”

(1) Burns, Simon. Dec. 13, 2006. Windows Vista to boost touch-screen market. ITWeek.

(2) Brewster, Stephen, Faraz Chohan, and Lorna Brown. 2007. Tactile Feedback for Mobile Interactions. Proceedings of CHI 2007.

(3) Poupyrev, Ivan and Shigeaki Maruyama. 2003. Tactile Interfaces for Small Touch Screens. CHI Letters 5 (1): 217-220.

(4) Serafin, Colleen, Ranier Heers, Michael Tschirhart, Chris Ullrich, and Christophe Ramstein. 2007. User Experience in the U.S. and Germany of In-Vehicle Touch Screens with Integrated Haptic and Auditory Feedback. To appear in Proceedings of SAE World Congress 2007.

About CTT-Net (www.cttnet.co.kr)

Founded in 2004, CTT-Net is a leading producer of personal and in-dash navigation devices and downloadable satellite maps for the Korean market. The company supplies navigation devices to various OEMs and also distributes its products through major Korean home-shopping channels. CTT-Net has 60 employees and is headquartered in Seongnam-City, Korea.

About Immersion (www.immersion.com)

Founded in 1993, Immersion Corporation is a recognized leader in developing, licensing, and marketing digital touch technology and products. Using Immersion’s advanced touch feedback technology (http://www.immersion.com/corporate/products/), electronic user interfaces can be made more productive, compelling, entertaining, or safer. Immersion’s technology is deployed across automotive, entertainment, industrial controls, medical training, mobility, and three-dimensional simulation markets. Immersion’s patent portfolio includes over 600 issued or pending patents in the U.S. and other countries.

Immersion, the Immersion logo, and TouchSense are trademarks of Immersion Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.