POSTED BY Peratech | Nov 04, 2021 |
Richmond, Yorkshire, UK – 4th November 2021.
Peratech, a world-leading tactile-sensing solutions company, announced today that Dr Sarah Dempsey, R&D Manager, has been awarded a four-year Future Leader’s Fellowship and grant by the UKRI (www.ukri.org). The grant provides significant funding to support Dempsey’s work in integrating Peratech's force-sensing technology within a flexible display module stack-up. The Fellowship provides extensive leadership training and development opportunities for Dempsey to become a technology leader not only at Peratech but within the UK STEM community as well.
Dempsey commented, "I'm delighted to have received the [UKRI] fellowship. The funding enables us to research challenging yet achievable objectives with a broad potential impact and high potential reward. We’ll be able to thoroughly investigate multiple ways to tackle technical challenges and solve uncertainties. If this development is successful, it will be a step-change in how users interact with their smartphones and tablets, offering a fundamentally more intuitive and adaptable touch interface.”
Dempsey and her team’s work investigates novel approaches to miniaturising and integrating Peratech's QTC ink technology. It also must adapt or develop production processes so the force-sensing elements can be integrated above the display surface. This is especially challenging since the highest-performing and thinnest force-sensing materials tend to be opaque. But the team has completed feasibility studies and has potential pathways to mass commercialisation.
Dempsey commented, "Although there are many challenges ahead, I believe we have both the team and collaboration partners for us to succeed. It's also a real opportunity for self-development and upskilling for both myself and my team."
Dr Tolis Voutsas, Peratech CTO, was equally pleased with the announcement. "Dr. Dempsey’s award allows us to investigate materials and processes outside our standard menu of options, which will be required to solve the challenges in implementing this technology. It’s a wonderful opportunity for her to acquire leadership skills, gain experience managing strategic-level projects, and realise both her leadership potential and career goals."
Based on patented Quantum Tunnelling Composite (QTC®) technology, Peratech's tactile sensing solutions bring a new dimension to touch controls. Peratech's sensors change from being an almost perfect insulator to becoming increasingly conductive in proportion to the amount of force applied to them. In addition, the materials are very resilient with predictable deformation and recovery so that changes in resistance due to even the slightest pressure on the sensor material is both predictable and repeatable over more than a million cycles.
For designers of human-machine interfaces (HMI), Peratech's technology offers unrivalled creative freedom and opportunities for product differentiation in both ergonomics and aesthetics. It makes touch buttons, panels, and displays far easier to use.
Peratech's award-winning, thin, and flexible sensors come in single-point, 3D single-touch, and 3D multi-touch versions. They can be used above, below, or around rigid or flexible displays or under metal, plastic, wood, or glass surfaces. As a result, Peratech's tactile solution experience is intuitive, consistent, precise, durable, and reliable, whatever the environment, even when using gloved fingers or in the presence of moisture.
The diverse applications for QTC tactile sensors include consumer and automotive electronics, smart-home systems and appliances, and industrial controls. Over a million devices around the world now employ the technology. Peratech's custom design and integration service minimise both cost and time-to-market. The company also offers a range of standard products. Peratech Holdco Ltd., a privately held company, is based in Richmond, Yorkshire, UK.
For more information, go to peratech.com.
Quantum Tunnelling Composite and QTC are registered trademarks of Peratech Holdco Ltd. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
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