Force sensor brings touch input to mobile devices
The HSFPAR series of force sensors from Alps Alpine now the HSFPAR007A, which detects stress as light as zero stroke (0.01N). According to Alps Alpine, this feature makes it suitable for enabling applications in robot arms and other parts of industrial equipment handling precision devices. It can be used as a sensor for detecting force along the Z axis, for example, when embedded beneath a touch panel. It can also be used as a capacitive sensor to detect the force applied to the operating surface and be able to ascertain whether an input operation was intentional or a mistake.
As the screens on smartphones, in-vehicle controls increase in size, new drawing applications for smartphones have emerged, together with the use of stylus pens for detailed input using the screen and a stylus in addition to directly touching the display with fingers.
The HSFPAR007A force sensor follows the introduction last year of the HSFPAR004A force sensor, which fits into the tip of a stylus pen for tablet PCs. According to Alps Alpine it achieves high sensitivity, high resolution and high linearity, as well as impact resistance.
The HSFPAR007A force sensor’s footprint is 40 per cent that of the HSFPAR004A while retaining its basic performance capabilities. It is therefore small enough to fit in the slimmer stylus pens used for smartphones, enhancing flexibility in design by device manufacturers while helping to improve the user-friendliness of smartphone drawing applications.
Principal applications are stylus pens and other input devices and industrial equipment, including adjusting the application of press in robot arms as hey grip objects on the production line.
Alps Alpine is the company formed in January 2019 when Alps Electric and Alpine Electronics integrated their businesses.
Leveraging expertise in core devices, system design and software development, Alps Alpine will endeavour to serve the automotive market, and also customers in the mobile devices and consumer electronics sectors as well as in energy, healthcare and industry.
