Believe in a world of intelligent mundane objects

LBC studied and supported the entry into the US of Sensitive Objects, a French company that developed an innovative solution based on acoustic technology for touch screens.

Imagine a world in which objects are intelligent to the point that common home or office furniture becomes sensitive objects capable of interacting with their surroundings. A lamp that responds to a table, a television that responds to an armchair and here we have our furniture becoming communicative. A simple touch on a hard surface and mundane objects come to life and give us information to the rhythm of the touch of our fingers.

A few years ago this was only possible on the big screen of Hollywood movies. Now it's a reality. Tactile and intelligent common objects.

Haptic Technology by Sensitive Object

With regard to interactive designs, the potential is enormous. A French company, the Sensitive Object, has developed a unique technology in this area that is fighting for a place in the competitive man-machine interface market.

Sensitive Object, founded in 2003, emerged from a research group at the Laboratory of Acoustic Waves (LOA) in Paris, an area of ​​the National Center for Scientific Research. Between the summer of 2004 and 2006, the French group Sofinnova Partners invested 7,5 million euros in the company.

With this capital, Sensitive Object was able to develop innovative solutions based on acoustic technology. The technology essentially works with two sensors that record sounds from any object. This recording is then stored in a database and assigned a unique acoustic signature for that point on the object. This signature is detected through a series of algorithms that contrast the vibrations of the point of impact with the remaining stored signatures, converting the vibration through the use of electronic hardware and software into personalized commands.

Help yourself technology on the rise

Help Yourself technology is on the cutting edge. Self service is routine, including withdrawing money from an ATM, collecting tickets from a kiosk at the theatre, cinema or train station, filling up the car at a petrol station, without having to speak to the salesperson. We are also seeing the emergence of interactive store windows where you can browse and shop, 24 hours a day, from outside the store. Digital advertising and signage is also spreading. This increases the reach of interactive advertising, where the target audience has the ability to give feedback in real time through a touch screen about what they need and their impressions. We are becoming incredibly independent, just dependent on being connected and interacting with machines and networks. Perhaps this is the paradox of our time.

Sensitive Object targets the US

The American market is a large and competitive market where Sensitive Object intends to be present. To this end, it hired LBC's San Francisco office to assist in assessing the market and establishing initial contacts with potential partners and customers.

The possibilities offered by the introduction of haptic technology (using touch) developed by Sensitive Object are limitless. Its acoustic technology known as ReverSysTM based on the temporal reversal of acoustic waves offers people a bridge between the abstract digital world and their familiar surroundings. Touch screens are just one of the interesting examples. Many of the well-known technologies exist to allow touch screens to react to touch. Most of the technologies accepted in the market include SAW (surface acoustic wave) and infrared. The reader may wonder if there is still room for another technology commercialized by some company or brand not recognized by the market. Sensitive Object's technology sets itself apart from some existing technologies, which is why it represents such an impressive development.

Durability

Touch screens have to be tough. Tourists are often seen tapping touch screens in airports and train stations incessantly, trying to buy tickets in time to catch the next plane or train. Durability is the key characteristic of touch screens. These are made from pure glass which is extremely tough and easy to clean.

For any object that becomes sensitive, the way in which it reacts must be considered. This characteristic is fundamental in terms of reducing the need for repairs and maintenance. Sensitive points are effectively decisive in maintaining or alienating users who feel frustrated because they do not understand why “click here” does not work.

Cost is another area where Sensitive Object is well positioned, as its technology is competitive at this level, which in a large volume of business is very attractive. This market is supposed to grow at a rate of 10% in the coming years, however, there has been a drop in prices.