InterDigital and Razer Launch Haptic Excellence Center for Innovation

InterDigital Inc. has announced the establishment of a Haptic Excellence Center in partnership with Razer, aimed at driving research, development, and education in the field of haptic technology. This initiative, based in Wilmington, DE, will focus on enhancing media experiences by integrating touch-based feedback with audio and video components.

The Haptic Excellence Center is set to address the growing consumer demand for haptic-enabled devices. According to a white paper by Futuresource and InterDigital, approximately 4.1 billion consumer devices featured haptic technology by the end of 2024, with projections indicating that 53% of consumer devices will be haptic-enabled by 2028. This substantial growth highlights the importance of advancing innovation in this area.

Focus on Haptic Streaming and Education

The center will work on creating a haptic streaming platform designed to facilitate the creation, encoding, synchronization, and delivery of haptic data alongside traditional audio and video content. This technological advancement aims to significantly enhance user experiences across various media formats.

In addition to its technological focus, the Haptic Excellence Center plans to collaborate with universities to bolster research and educational efforts related to haptic systems and their applications. Rajesh Pankaj, Chief Technology Officer at InterDigital, emphasized the center’s goal of fostering collaboration between industry and academia to promote experimentation and deepen understanding of haptic technologies.

Eric Vezzoli, Director of Technology at Razer, remarked that the partnership seeks to advance an open haptics framework and explore streaming research, facilitating a wider deployment of haptic technology across different platforms.

InterDigital, known for its innovative wireless and video technologies, continues to be a key player in the consumer technology landscape. The establishment of the Haptic Excellence Center marks a significant step towards the future of interactive media, highlighting the growing intersection of technology and user experience. As the demand for haptic feedback increases, initiatives like this are crucial in shaping the next generation of consumer devices.