If the solution from touchscreen film maker Canatu is feasible, a new generation of cars will be equipped with more sensitive touchscreens. Canatu CEO JuhaKokkonen said: "Our vision is that any surface can be intelligent."
Canatu has been in existence for 14 years, and the company's proposed solution is already in production, but Kokkonen cannot disclose which models or brands will be put into use. Canatu hopes that the car display will be 3D instead of the 2D that is now common. The company hopes to achieve this technology through the use of patented carbon nano bud materials, which can extend more than 200%, can also be bent, and the fold radius can be less than 1 mm.
Canatu was spun off from Aalto University and was founded by four professors from the United States, Finland, Russia and China. The 3D touch screen developed by the company in cooperation with German auto parts supplier Continental also won a grand prize at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this year. Canatu has also established cooperation with Faurecia and Denso, and these two companies also hold shares in Canatus. Kokkonen said: "Our technology has huge potential, so these companies are supporting us, and we are working together to bring new products to market."
One of Canatu's project with Faurecia is to develop a concept door for Daimler. The door is equipped with an integrated transparent, heat-formed touch-sensitive display, which can control the window and seat functions through a panel. But this panel is invisible when it's not needed.
Canatu is also researching the integration of touch-screen functions on the leather surface of the car, and the company's third product can ensure that the lidar sensor can avoid fogging or freezing without consuming a large amount of battery. Kokkonen said that this is a key feature for electric vehicles, because in some scenarios, compared to traditional solutions, 10% of its energy is used to defrost the glass.
Make a profit by 2020
When asked if Canatu has achieved profitability, Kokkonen said: "Last year, we launched more than 30 projects in the automotive industry, but as we all know, it will take three to four years to enter automotive production, and we expect to achieve it in the next two years. profit."
Considering that from the company's establishment from 2004 to 2010, the company has always focused on academic research, research materials and production procedures, and applied for patents. Profits in 2020 are already fast. The company began hiring employees in 2008 and soon began to seek external investment.
Kokkonen revealed: "Suppliers have been in contact with us since 2016 and have become our shareholders since 2017." When Kokkone jumped from Nokia and Microsoft to Canatus in 2016, he also made the automotive business a top business area for the company . He said: "During my tenure at Nokia, I realized that companies with a clear focus can succeed. If you are a small company, you must also have focus, and you need to do better than others. "