While the introduction of touch screens has improved the usability and flexibility of many devices, it has negatively impacted the tactile experience. As a result of these limitations, designers of touch screen-based products have been searching for solutions to bring some form of tactility or compelling human interaction back to touch screen devices. To date, the solutions have focused on feedback mechanisms that try to mimic a physical button experience by stimulating or tricking the user's senses.
The need for a solution has become increasingly important as more handheld devices such as smartphones, gaming, remote controls, and digital cameras, adopt touch screens and as larger touch screen devices, such as tablets, ebooks, netbooks and laptops, enter the market.
Typing Errors
Input errors increase while typing speed decreases for most touchscreen users.
Lack of Feedback
It's difficult to know when a "button" was pushed on a completely flat touchscreen.
Inability to Blind Navigate
On a flat screen there are no orientation cues to guide fingers to the right location.
Consumers complain about poor typing speed and errors, the insufficient feedback, and the inability to hunt or "blind navigate" on a touch screen. Unlike today's haptic solutions, which simply provide feedback after touching the screen, Tactus' solution allows users to rest their fingers on the screen. This allows users to orient their fingers prior to pushing the button to trigger a touch input. Providing both orientation as well as a confirmation solution is critical to solving the input problem. The physical buttons also help with fine motor control and micro-adjustment of finger position which is necessary for fast and accurate input. Gaming controls exemplify this: a user needs to keep their eyes on the screen, and also be able to push the right game buttons at any moment. Touch screens and current haptic solutions today don't allow this. Tactus' technology solves this problem.
Our products allow OEMs to dramatically differentiate their devices in a highly competitive market by providing the best of both touchscreen and keyboard technology. No longer is there a need to sacrifice function over form.