Grupo Antolin and Uniphy Partner to Develop Advanced Smart Surfaces for Next Generation In-Car User-Interfaces

Leeds, United Kingdom, March 16, 2022 - Grupo Antolin, global supplier of technological solutions for car interiors, and Uniphy, the leading provider of 3D smart-surface technology, have signed an agreement to collaborate on next generation in-car user-interfaces. Thanks to this collaboration, Grupo Antolin will combine its advanced decorative and lighting technologies with Uniphy’s revolutionary Canvya™ smart-surface solutions to enable new highly functional 3D touch-control surfaces that are beautiful, intuitive, robust, safe, and economic.

The resulting HMIs (Human Machine Interface) will take advantage of the unparalleled design freedom to deliver high-performance touch, touch contours such as longitudinal or circular sliders, concave/convex touch-surface dials, touch-gesture, and proximity recognition, together with the integration of displays and advanced lighting solutions.

Grupo Antolin’s extensive expertise and state-of-the-art car interior technology, together with its integration experience of 3rd party solutions into its products, will be paired with Uniphy’s revolutionary Canvya™ 3D smart-surface technology to deliver user interfaces with great added value.

Unlike standard capacitive surfaces, Uniphy’s patented technology uses novel optical sensing with a free-form and affordable three-layer optical laminate, powered by low power electronics to improve the quality, functionality, and performance of the solution. The collaboration is set to create a completely new touch interface that takes the user experience to a whole new level.

“Uniphy and Antolin are a perfect fit. Together we can produce unique smart 3D surfaces that can be seamlessly integrated into all interior parts of next generation vehicles. As part of this program, Uniphy will collaborate closely with our Lighting & HMI Business Unit as well as Walter Pack, Antolin's strategic partner in films and decorative surfaces”, said Marta Cuevas, Grupo Antolin Lighting & HMI Business Unit Director.

“Antolin & Uniphy have the combined expertise to make decorative trim immersivity functional in a highly efficient and cost-effective way. The compatibilities of our capabilities, as well as a shared vision for enabling peerless user experiences, augurs well for realising smart surfaces that will evoke, in end users, passion for using the resulting products”, said Jim Nicholas, Uniphy Limited Chief Executive Officer.

As part of its strategy to consolidate its position as a global supplier of technological and innovative solutions, Grupo Antolin strives to integrate new technologies in the vehicle interior, from HMI functions to advanced driver-assistance systems, functional lighting, and smart surfaces with the highest perceived quality. The company focuses on helping OEMs to develop a more advanced, technological, and sustainable automotive interior that offers passengers a unique onboard experience.

Uniphy's revolutionary 3D smart-surface solution combines novel algorithms and patented technologies to allow standard materials/components and mainstream manufacturing processes to be deployed to deliver feature-rich and freeform 3D smart interfaces. The Uniphy solution truly transforms product design. It enables designers to freely create HMIs that are striking as well as experiences that are intuitive and natural, while also delivering robustness and remaining cost-effective. The technology goes “Beyond Touch™” and unifies non-conductive, finger pressure sensitive touch sensing with the integration of physical HMI features including dials, buttons & sliders. It also supports haptic feedback, proximity and touch-gesture recognition whilst also being able to host additional proprietary HMI features.

About Antolin

Grupo Antolin is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of vehicle components in the world and a global supplier of technological solutions for automotive interiors. The company supplies the world’s leading car manufacturers through 150 factories in 26 countries. Antolin has 27,000 employees and sales of €3.9 billion in 2020. Grupo Antolin offers high added value products via four Business Units: Overheads, Cockpits & Doors, Lighting & HMI, and Electronic Systems.

About Uniphy

Uniphy is “the next generation user experience canvas company” delivering truly disruptive and highly protected technologies and solutions that enable any product requiring a smart user interface, whether it’s the interior of a car, a consumer device, any home appliance, an enterprise/industrial equipment or in fact any other physical device, to have a beautiful, intuitive, and robust user interface. This is achieved while also ensuring a safe and highly economical solution – plastic & glass surfaces of any shape can be made “smart” without the need for esoteric materials or using non-mainstream manufacturing processes.

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