Microchip introduces development platform combining touch and gestures

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Microchip Technology Inc., the provider of microcontroller, mixed-signal, analog and Flash-IP solutions, has announced the expansion of its Human Interface Input Sensing Solutions portfolio with the introduction of the 3DTouchPad, a PC peripheral and world's first development platform for 2D multi-touch and 3D gestures.

The 3DTouchPad reinvents input sensing by adding free space gesture recognition to projected-capacitive multi-touch as a compelling development platform and reference design. The 3DTouchPad is the first development platform that combines 2D multi-touch and 3D air gesture input focused on the PC/peripheral market. The 3DTouchPad provides robust and innovative 3D gesture recognition utilising Microchip's GestIC technology that offers a detection range of up to 10 cm for 3D gestures, along with Microchip's highly responsive projected-capacitive 2D multi-touch solution supporting up to 10 touch points and multi-finger surface gestures. The 2D multi-touch is enhanced by Microchip's new capacitive touch-screen line driver, MTCH652, which was also announced on 8 October.

The new 3DTouchPad includes driverless, out-of-the-box features for Windows 7/8.X and  OS X, 3D air gestures, advanced multi-touch performance including surface gestures, and a free downloadable GUI and SDK/API package tailored for developers. The possibilities for this technology also expand beyond the PC market and computer touch pads to include hands-free sanitary products, home automation, remote controls, game controllers, wearable devices and automotive applications.

"Microchip's 3DTouchPad provides an industry-first blend of 2D multi-touch and 3D air gesture recognition to promote innovative and intuitive designs in input sensing applications," said Fanie Duvenhage, director of Microchip's Human-Machine Interface Division. "This production ready development kit with free GUI and SDK provides Microchip customers with all the tools necessary to create innovative 2D and 3D input devices to enable advanced human-interface designs."