GREENVILLE, SC and BURLINGAME, CA–(Marketwired – April 14, 2016) – KEMET Corporation (NYSE: KEM), a leading global supplier of electronic components and Novasentis Inc., the leading developer of haptic and sensory feedback technology for wearable devices, together, announced a collaboration to develop next generation Electro-Mechanical Polymer (EMP) film based haptic actuators for wearable devices. Novasentis will provide the core technology and haptic actuator film whereas KEMET will develop the manufacturing process for the final assembly.
The two companies have been working together for several months and have targeted production prototype delivery in the summer of 2016, with plans for production starting in early 2017.
“Our expertise in film-based capacitor manufacturing is a perfect match for the needs of the Novasentis haptic technology. We will be able to use our existing manufacturing lines to develop mass production quantities of actuators,” said Dr. Philip Lessner, Senior Vice President and CTO at KEMET. “The collaboration with Novasentis allows KEMET to further its reach into emerging markets including wearables.”
This collaboration is aimed at providing the most advanced haptic technology in the world with the assurance of supply that KEMET is known for. The EMP film actuators act as a second skin for devices, capable of providing meaningful localized haptic and audio feedback for hundreds of uniquely distinct alerts. These haptic actuators are much thinner, lighter, and a more powerful alternative to other whole-body haptic solutions using outdated buzzy motors or high-voltage benders. This technology is already being designed into wearable devices by OEMs.
“Our partnership with KEMET allows Novasentis to focus on technology development and leverage world class manufacturing to support consumer electronics companies worldwide,” said Francois Jeanneau, President and CEO of Novasentis. “Our haptic technology offers a unique value proposition which has been validated by OEMs designing next generation wearable devices.”
Together, KEMET and Novasentis are working to create unrivaled market-leading technology and high volume availability of sensory-rich haptic components to the wearable device market.