Spotlight On
future we think haptic technology will be everywhere!
Beyond virtual reality (VR), is there really a widespread need for technologies like Ultrahaptics’?
Absolutely! VR is just one market. Our strongest markets at the moment are actually automotive, gaming and consumer electronics. In VR in particular, the investment has predominantly been in developing worlds that are stimulated by visual and audio receptors, but touch is integral to being fully immersed in a world that has been virtually created. I was reading an interesting paper about this the other day that summed this up nicely: “without vision or hearing, one would inhabit a very different experiential world, whereas one would not have a world at all without touch.”
But as I said, it’s not all about VR.
There are huge safety benefits to be had with a technology like Ultrahaptics’. Imagine that you are driving along, and you decide you want to change the radio station. You reach out to find the control and fumble around the dash looking for the right button to press, or knob to twist. You give up feeling for it because there are so many there and take a glance to find the right controller - we’ve all done it! Now instead, imagine if you could just put your hand out above the indicator stick and a virtual controller comes to your hand, a swipe to the right flicks to the next track or radio station. No need to look away from the road or fumble around for the right button, and infinitely safer. It doesn’t stop there either - we’ve already talked about the ability to prevent the spread of bacteria in a situation like a hospital - did you know
one of the ‘dirtiest’ areas in a hospital is the elevator buttons? So imagine not even having to touch them, put your hand over the ground floor button and then it comes to you to press!
During the course of your career what has been the most exciting development you have been part of?
This. By a country mile. I have been working in electronics for almost 30 years and during that time I have seen so much incremental improvement in things that just feel commonplace. The mid-air touches haptic technology that Tom and the other Ultrahaptics founders have developed blows the rest of it out of the water. It is a huge step towards what I have always imagined the future to look like. And it’s not only me that is excited, the reactions from our customers is testament to that, it is genuinely exciting watching someone try the demo for the first time. The potential is limitless; how often can you say that? We also have a phenomenal team!
In such an innovative company how do you make sure the muse is kept close?
It’s really important to us that we don’t become stagnant as a company. We actively encourage people to come up with new ideas, and offer an incentive program for anyone who files a successful patent application. Innovation is at the heart of the company and is rewarded. We are conscious of employing the right people for the job. It isn’t all about knowing your stuff from
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an engineering perspective, but it’s also about making sure we hire people who fit with the team and who will want to stay, our staff retention levels are testament to this. As a management team, we look to hire smart, dedicated and passionate people. We trust them to explore new ideas, and we have a culture where no ideas are deemed ‘bad’. Instead employees are invited to explore new avenues and discuss their findings. This encourages a naturally collaborative atmosphere in the office allowing the strongest ideas to gain momentum. The experienced engineering management team are always available for considered advice. It is all about the freedom to research and run with an idea to see where it goes. We were born out of education, and this has a profound effect on how we operate on a day-to-day basis. The recent relocation to new offices in Bristol, complete with a custom-specified laboratory and acoustic chamber, provide the perfect facilities to further develop the technology!
If you were stranded on a desert island what three things would you not be able to live without?
My Wife, I would definitely need her to keep me sane on the island, and to keep me smiling. My phone, if that’s allowed. I suppose there would also need to be a base station on the island. And the entire back catalogue of Supertramp and a solar powered record player (that’s probably cheating…). Although, I think my wife would stop smiling with Supertramp on repeat!
www.ultrahaptics.com Components in Electronics June 2016 43
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