Monthly Archives: July 2015

Huawei adopted Qeexo’s FingerSense

July 22, 2015

Today California-based startup company Qeexo announced that Huawei adopted its FingerSense technology. 

As we covered over a year ago, startup company Qeexo has software to detect if it is finger touch, or knuckle touch, or nail touch, or pen touch.

Qeexo was founded in September 2012. In May 2014, Qeexo announced it raised $2.3 million series A funding, led by Sierra Ventures.

Now, Qeexo announced its first smartphone brand customer–Huawei. Actually, Huawei has adopted FingerSense several months ago on its P8 smartphone, but Huawei re-branded the technology as “Knuckle Sense”.

Figure: Qeexo’s FingerSense could tell “finger touch” from “knuckle knock”.

qeexo menuQeexo knuckle

Photo by: Jennifer Colegrove

“FingerSense adds a layer of intelligence to smartphones that enables faster access to core features and creates a far more powerful experience for users,” said Sang Won Lee, CEO of Qeexo.

More analysis of Qeexo’s technology and touch panel progress can be found in the “Touch and Emerging Display” monthly report.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

Facebook Oculus acquires Pebbles Interfaces for gesture control

July 18, 2015

On July 16th, 2015, Facebook’s subsidiary Oculus reported that it just acquired Israel-based Pebbles Interfaces. Based in Israel, Pebbles Interfaces has spent the past five years developing technology that uses custom optics, sensor systems and algorithms to detect and track hand movement. Pebbles Interfaces will be joining the hardware engineering and computer vision teams at Oculus to help advance virtual reality, tracking, and human-computer interactions.

Although Oculus didn’t report how much they paid for this acquisition, rumors hold Oculus spent $60 million.

In the past, Pebbles has received a total of $11.5 million from investors.  This Oculus acquisition is a handsome pay off for the previous investors.

Figure: Pebbles Interface gesture control.

Pebbles Interfaces

Source: Pebbles Interface, Oculus.

In the “Touchless Human-Machine-Interaction” 2014 report, Touch Display Research has profiled Pebbles Interfaces in the report. Touch Display Research believes touchless human-machine-interaction (HMI) is the next big thing. Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Samsung, LG, Intel, Qualcomm are all working on touchless HMI. They had acquired or will acquire small companies with touchless technologies.

From mobile phone to automobiles, from digital signage to home/building automation, from notebook PC to wearable devices, touchless human-machine-interaction is gaining momentum.

Touch Display Research forecasts the touchless HMI market will reach $42.6 Billion by 2020.

Figure: Touchless human-machine-interaction market forecast.

Touchless HMI forecast TDR

Source: Touch Display Research Inc. Touchless HMI 2014 report.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team

 

Kodak touch sensor after UniPixel

July 15, 2015

I recently had a chance to interview Kodak’s VP of Functional Printing group, Mr. Brian Marks. Mr. Marks indicated Kodak is currently working on two metal mesh technologies: 1. Silver metal mesh, and 2. Copper metal mesh.

As we covered before in Touch and Emerging Display monthly report, UniPixel bought the Atmel’s XSense business and facility in Colorado in April 2015.

On April 27, 2015, Kodak announced it is committed to moving forward independently with development of copper mesh touch sensor technology, following UniPixel’s decision to withdraw from joint activities with Kodak.

“We are pleased to have full control over the technology development program and excited about the business opportunities ahead. We expect to have products based on this technology in the market before the end of this year,” said Philip Cullimore, President – Enterprise Inkjet Systems Division and Micro 3D Printing & Packaging Division.

UniPixel and Kodak signed partnership agreement back in 2013. But after about 2 years, the partnership broke up.

In the recently published “ITO-replacement: non-ITO transparent conductor technologies and market forecast 2015 report“, Touch Display Research forecast the non-ITO transparent conductor market will have rapid growth and reach $10.9 billion in 2022.

Figure: ITO-replacement market forecast.

ITO replacement forecast2015

Source: Touch Display Research Inc. ITO-replacement 2015 report.

More analyst about Kodak touch sensor technologies, supply chain and business will be in the “Touch and Emerging Display monthly report”, July 2015 issue.

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer and team