SBIR Phase I: Microelectromechanical Sensor for Touch Surfaces

该小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在为触摸应用开发一种力敏解决方案，以克服现有技术的技术缺陷。该设计利用微机电系统（MEMS）的灵敏度，尺寸和成本优势，在一个新的配置，以防止过载的传感器大的作用力。该解决方案将实现真正的低成本和高灵敏度的力敏触摸。它可以与任何物体一起操作，包括指甲、手套和手写笔，同时不受阻碍当前电容技术的环境因素的影响，例如灰尘和湿气。该项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力与广泛的应用有关，包括用于消费电子产品的力敏按钮、汽车控制以及用于固定和移动的设备的力敏显示器。二十年前，触摸技术主要应用于ATM和销售点系统。最近，该技术迁移到其他电子行业垂直领域，包括最大的，当然也是增长最快的行业之一。智能手机和平板电脑。消费者需求正在推动每个垂直领域的应用程序爆炸式增长。对低成本、低功率、更丰富的特征的触摸解决方案的需求日益增加。此外，人们不断追求新的用户体验优势，如力敏度，但市场上还没有可行的解决方案。这样的技术将有望从所有这些相关垂直领域的现有技术中获得可观的市场份额。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to develop a force sensitive solution for touch applications that will overcome the technical shortcomings of currently available technologies. The design utilizes the sensitivity, size, and cost advantages of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) in a novel configuration to prevent overloading of the sensor for large applied forces. The solution will enable truly force sensitive touch that is low cost and highly sensitive. It will be operable with any object, including fingernails, gloves, and styluses, while not being susceptible to environmental factors that hinder current capacitive technologies, such as dirt and moisture.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is pertinent to a wide array of applications, including force sensitive buttons for consumer electronics, automotive controls, and force sensitive displays for fixed and mobile devices. Two decades ago, touch technology was primarily found within ATMs and point-of-sale systems. More recently, the technology migrated to other electronic industry verticals, including one of the largest and certainly the fastest growing ? smartphones and tablet PCs. Consumer demand is driving an explosion of applications in every vertical. There is increasing demand for low cost, low power, more feature rich touch solutions. In addition, new user experience benefits such as force sensitivity are constantly being pursued, yet there is no viable solution yet on the market. Such a technology would be poised to capture significant market share from existing technologies in all of these relevant verticals.