Flex and Aito Partner to Accelerate Innovation in Automotive Human Machine Interfaces

Flex to integrate Aito haptic touch sensors into surfaces for automotive interiors

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Jul 05, 2016, 04:05 ET

SAN JOSE, Calif., July 5, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Flex (NASDAQ: FLEX), the leader in Sketch-to-Scale™ solutions, and Aito, the leader haptic interface technology, have partnered to enhance the automotive user experience by embedding touch sensors with button-like tactile feedback into automotive applications such as overhead consoles, steering wheel controls and other vehicle interior applications.

Aito's proprietary piezo-based technology provides haptic feedback to a user's fingertip, making smooth surfaces feel as if they were embedded with physical buttons, knobs, shapes, edges or textures. By eliminating the need for physical buttons, this technology provides unparalleled design freedom, enabling tactile controls to be seamlessly integrated with high quality materials such as wood, leather or metal. Additionally, the technology significantly reduces weight and space requirements in automotive cabin design, reducing the required thickness of the sensor rack to under 0.4 millimeters.

"We are looking forward to integrating Aito's breakthrough technology into our next-generation automotive interior offerings," said Chris Obey, president of automotive at Flex. "Our expertise in advanced technologies across multiple industries allows us to apply the latest innovations to automotive electronics, and now Aito's technology will allow us to offer our customers the most innovative and intuitive user interfaces as well – enabling the 'cockpit of the future' for smart, connected cars, with more intuitive and versatile controls that merge into the surface material itself."

"Flex's extensive global footprint and multi-industry Sketch-to-Scale expertise makes them the ideal partner for Aito," said Peter Kurstjens, Aito CEO. "Integrating our proprietary technology with Flex's design, engineering and manufacturing expertise will create new applications for our solutions, while helping us gain entry to new markets."

About Flex
Flextronics International Ltd. is a leading Sketch-to-Scale™ solutions company that designs and builds intelligent products for a connected world. With approximately 200,000 professionals across 30 countries and a promise to help the world Live Smarter™, Flex provides innovative design, engineering, manufacturing, real-time supply chain insight and logistics services to companies of all sizes in various industries and end-markets. For more information, visit www.flextronics.com or follow us on Twitter @Flextronics.

About Aito
Aito gives new meaning to intuitive and safe operation of electronic devices. The company offers a new category of interface controls that combines touch functionality with haptic feedback in the world's thinnest form factor. Based in Amsterdam and Helsinki, Aito's breakthrough piezo sensing technology is well on its way to change user interfaces of a wide range of appliances, in mobile, home and automotive applications. https://aito-touch.com

Paul Brunato
Flex Corporate Communications
(408) 576-7534
[email protected]

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SOURCE Flex