UTOUCH · Project

Touchless Buttons and Controls You Can Feel in Mid-Air Using Ultrasound

digitalMarket-readyTRL 8

Imagine pressing a button that isn't there — and actually feeling it push back against your finger. This company built arrays of tiny ultrasonic speakers that shoot invisible pressure waves into the air, creating tactile sensations on bare skin up to 1 metre away. Think of it like a speaker that plays sound you can touch instead of hear. They packaged this into ready-made modules and developer kits so other companies can add "touchable air" controls to cars, game controllers, and kitchen appliances.

By the numbers

1 metre

Maximum distance for mid-air haptic feedback

Product tiers developed (U3, U5, U7) covering different markets

Target market segments: automotive, computing/gaming, home appliances

International tradeshows with live product demos (Embedded World, IFA)

Developer hackathon to engage SME integrators

The business problem

What needed solving

Physical buttons and touchscreens force product designers into trade-offs: buttons add mechanical complexity and hygiene concerns, while flat touchscreens give no tactile feedback, causing user frustration and safety risks (especially in cars). Industries need a way to give users the feeling of touching controls without any physical contact — combining the hygiene and design freedom of touchless interfaces with the certainty of tactile response.

The solution

What was built

Ultraleap built 3 tiers of embedded ultrasonic haptic modules (U3 low-cost, U5 mid-range, U7 high-performance), complete with development boards, software tools, and ready-made B2B components like touchless buttons with tactile feedback. They validated these at 2 international tradeshows and 1 developer hackathon.

Audience

Who needs this

Automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers designing next-generation dashboard controlsGaming and VR/AR hardware manufacturers adding tactile feedback to virtual interactionsHome appliance makers wanting sealed, hygienic control surfacesDigital signage and kiosk companies needing touchless public interfacesIndustrial equipment manufacturers requiring hands-free controls in clean or hazardous environments

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Automotive

enterprise

Target: Car manufacturers and Tier 1 automotive suppliers building next-generation cockpit interfaces

If you are an automotive OEM or supplier dealing with driver distraction from touchscreen controls — this project developed the U5 embedded haptic module that lets drivers feel buttons and sliders in mid-air without taking their eyes off the road. The system works up to 1 metre from the device and requires no physical contact. Dev kits and ready-made B2B modules are available for integration.

Consumer Electronics & Gaming

any

Target: Gaming hardware makers, VR/AR headset manufacturers, and computing peripheral companies

If you are a gaming or computing hardware company struggling to make virtual interactions feel real — this project built the U7 high-performance haptic platform that maximizes transducer count and processing power for rich mid-air feedback. They ran hackathons with the development board to engage smaller companies and demonstrated at IFA, one of the world's largest consumer electronics tradeshows.

Home Appliances

mid-size

Target: White goods manufacturers and smart home device companies

If you are a home appliance maker looking for hygienic, sealed control surfaces that users can still feel — this project created the U3 low-cost ultrasonic haptic module designed specifically for price-sensitive consumer products. Touchless buttons with tactile feedback mean no gaps, no moving parts, and surfaces that are easy to clean. 3 firmware sizes were developed to cover different cost and performance needs.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would integration cost us?

The project created 3 tiers to match different budgets: U3 (low-cost for appliances), U5 (mid-range for automotive), and U7 (maximum performance for computing/gaming). Pricing details are not in the public project data — you would need to contact Ultraleap Limited directly for commercial terms.

Can this scale to mass production volumes?

The entire project was designed for scale. They moved from custom bespoke solutions to standardized dev kits and B2B modules built on standard microprocessors. The 3-tier product line (U3, U5, U7) was specifically architected so companies can integrate without going through a custom evaluation programme.

What is the IP and licensing situation?

Ultraleap Limited (formerly Ultrahaptics) is described as the first and only company with this technology, suggesting strong patent protection. As an SME-2 funded single-partner project, all IP sits with one company. Licensing terms would need to be negotiated directly with Ultraleap.

How mature is this technology — can we use it now?

This was funded under SME Instrument Phase 2, which targets near-market innovation. The company demonstrated working products at Embedded World and IFA tradeshows, and ran developer hackathons. Based on available project data, the technology was at commercial readiness by project end in 2017.

How do we actually integrate this into our product?

The project built embedded systems on standard microprocessors with development boards and software tools. Companies can write their own applications using the dev kit without going through a custom evaluation process. For simpler needs, pre-built B2B modules like touchless buttons are available as drop-in components.

Does this meet automotive or consumer safety standards?

Based on available project data, specific certification details are not mentioned. The technology uses ultrasound, which is a well-established safe technology. Any company integrating this into regulated products like cars or medical devices would need to handle their own sector-specific certification.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a single-company project — Ultraleap Limited (UK), a 100% industry SME with no academic or research partners. That is typical for SME Instrument Phase 2 funding, which backs companies that already have the technology and need support to commercialize it. For a business buyer, this is a positive signal: you are dealing directly with the technology owner, not a research consortium where IP might be fragmented across universities. All 1 partner is industry, all decisions sit in one place, and the company has since rebranded from Ultrahaptics to Ultraleap, indicating continued commercial activity beyond the project.

ULTRALEAP LIMITEDCoordinator · UK

How to reach the team

Ultraleap Limited (formerly Ultrahaptics), UK — a commercially active SME. SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to their business development team.

Order a report on this consortium See ULTRALEAP LIMITED profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore mid-air haptic controls for your product line? SciTransfer can arrange a technical briefing with the Ultraleap team and help you evaluate integration options for your specific use case.

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