I-Corps: Customer discovery for electronic devices with haptic feedback

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This project involves customer discovery for a technology that provides the sensation of touch on an electronic device, generating feedback to the user. The technology has the potential to be used for virtual reality applications, remote human-human interaction, and natural human-machine interfaces. It also has the potential to transform many industries, ranging from industrial platforms to consumer products. The diversity of applications presents a challenge for translation to the marketplace for a small team. The proposed technology, based on ultrasound phased array and predictive/learning based algorithms, creates high resolution air pressure fields that can be sensed by human touch sensors to enable users of VR systems to interact and sense virtual objects. The proposed solution uses a high-density array of Piezo-electric transducers to create high-resolution ultrasonic patterns to create 3D objects. The transducer array and algorithm enables complex high-resolution patterns while using less power and footprint.The impact of introducing sense of touch to daily lives of people can be significant. Sense of touch is an extremely important sense in human life. Because of the large size of target market, the variety of applications (gaming, entertainment, social interaction, etc.), and the need for seamless sense of touch in VR scenarios, this project's solution can have a marked commercial impact in the fast growing Virtual Reality areas. The proposed work will use the lean startup methodology to investigate and prioritize potential commercial applications of an electronic device providing the sensation of touch. Through an accelerated customer discovery process, this I-Corps team plans to rapidly create business model hypotheses, validate them through interviews, and iterate to develop an integrated business model. Participation in the I-Corps program will allow this team to efficiently develop a business model that can develop rapid traction in the marketplace.