Message #1305 From:
The Machine Date: May 13, 2008 03:59:36 AM
This is a good read
Think back
Beginning with seven-segment LED text pagers, mobile devices have vibrated
for several years. Even in the beginning, those simple pagers got the
job done when they alerted you to some important event — they got
your attention. And back when mobile phones were an expensive novelty,
their limited means of communication — seven-segment LEDs for graphics,
beeping piezo element for audio alerting, eccentric rotating mass actuator
for vibration — were largely sufficient. After all, just being able
take a call other than at your desk was a minor miracle. Somewhere between
then and now, mobile devices became commonplace. Today, they are our lifelines.
They keep us available and in touch, with dozens or hundreds of phone
numbers conveniently available in our personal phone book.
Complexity and technology
Mobile devices have become much more complex multimodal information centers
used for work and play, voice and data. They sport full-color high-resolution
displays, stereo sound, and an increasing amount of rich content and services.
But the basic vibration that has alerted mobile device users for so many
years hasn't evolved to match the technological improvements in other
areas. The VibeTonz System changes that and the result is actually quite
amazing — because, by advancing vibe technology, it turns out we
can make full use of our ability to discriminate among a variety of touch
sensations — and that makes a big difference in the way we manage
complexity.
Sensory harmony
Sensory perception depends on two critical components, threshold and fidelity.
Perception requires that a minimum threshold be exceeded. Degenerating
a color picture into pure black and white degrades it to the point that
its richness is lost. Degenerating a song into a monotone buzz no longer
makes it music: All you hear is the rhythm or basically noise. But it's
also true that our sensitivity fluctuates with changing levels of stimulation.
Images stabilized on the retina gradually fade from view. To perceive
well, we need balanced intensity.
Perception also erodes, and our discrimination becomes limited, when
there is a lack of fidelity, or quality. With the proper balance of
intensity and fidelity, perception goes from protecting us from noise
(or too much stimulation) to surrounding us with sensory presence,
sensory harmony.
Using all our spatial senses — sight, hearing, and touch — makes
for a higher fidelity, higher quality environment, one in which perception
is raised, and with it, the ability to deal with complexity.
Immersion, haptics, and VibeTonz technology Immersion, with its history in developing touch feedback technology for
several industries, is the leader in haptic technology, the science of
touch. We hold hundreds of haptic-related patents, have been in business
for over 10 years, and have key business relationships with leaders from
industries as diverse as Automotive to Gaming and Aerospace to Medical
Devices. Our role in these relationships has been to supply unique haptic
solutions that infuse realism and intuitive understanding into the user
experience.
VibeTonz technology comes from this long line of research and
development that has produced tested solutions. For the Mobility
industry, the VibeTonz solution comprises development tools,
algorithms, and actuator technology.
