Tanvas

Tanvas is a company that specializes in surface haptic technology for touchscreens. The company's flagship product, TanvasTouch, uses electrostatics to control friction on flat surfaces, allowing users to feel textures and tactile sensations when interacting with digital content. This technology modulates friction to create virtual touch experiences, enabling users to sense different textures like grass, cobblestones, or fabric on a touchscreen device. Unlike traditional vibration-based haptics that require mechanical actuators, TanvasTouch is a solid-state solution that can simultaneously deliver various haptic effects to multiple areas on the same surface.

The technology behind TanvasTouch was originally developed at Northwestern University and uses electroadhesion to generate surface friction. This approach allows for the creation of distinct regions on a device's surface with varying levels of frictional resistance, producing haptic effects such as edges, switches, and textures ranging from smooth to gritty. Tanvas has developed prototypes for various applications, including a 12.1-inch flexible AMOLED display that incorporates their haptic technology. The company's surface haptic solution can be integrated into touchscreens of different shapes and sizes, making it suitable for curved and flexible displays.