EIKOS
AND ETHERTOUCH ANNOUNCE AN AGREEMENT TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE DISPLAY TECHNOLOGIES
FOR HANDHELD ELECTRONIC DEVICES
FRANKLIN, MA, March 08,
2004 – Eikos Inc., a developer and manufacturer of
carbon nanotube (CNT) inks for highly transparent conductive coatings and
circuits, today announced a collaboration with Ethertouch, a developer of
innovative pointing and input devices, for next generation cell phone displays.
As part of the collaboration,
Eikos will develop and demonstrate the
application of a transparent conductive coating
to cell phone lenses This coating
enables Ethertouchs innovative new technology which
will complement or replace pushbuttons, scrolling wheels or provide an entirely
‘touch free touch screen’ display. The technology could be used in cell phones
in as little as two years.
In announcing the
contract, Joe Piche, founder and CEO of Eikos said, “Ethertouch has created an exciting
technology, that could be one of the first broad-based applications using
carbon nanotubes in a consumer product.
The Eikos team is thrilled to help Ethertouch develop this cutting-edge
technology which can be used in cell phones, PDAs, game consoles and a variety
of other applications.”
“Eikos’ patented CNT
coating technology is ideally suited to the specifications of our Ethertouch product,” explains Bernard Hall,
CTO of Ethertouch. “Using their ink will
give our cell phone lens design significant appeal both in terms of
functionality as well as a lower manufacturing cost. We are pleased with our close working
relationship and the benefits that an Eikos technology license will offer.”
Ethertouch’s technology
operates by moving the finger or thumb of one hand above or across the surface
of the application (PDA, mobile phone, keyboard) while contacting the palm of
the hand on an activation pad. The
pointer, like that of a cursor on a computer screen, follows the movement of
the fingertips.
Ethertouch’s product can
be used to complement or replace pointing accessories, mechanical and digital
buttons, scrolling wheels and resistive touch screens. In addition, with a 3-channel sensing
capacity, a technology used for presenting 3-dimnesional images, Ethertouch can
be used to add 3-D capabilities to an application.
About Ethertouch
Ethertouch has developed an innovative pointing and input
device that offers manufacturers greater design flexibility than any solution
currently available. The technology
will complement existing applications and can be used in new applications in
miniature and handheld devices, gaming, industry and credit card security.
About Eikos
Eikos Inc. is a developer and manufacturer of highly transparent carbon nanotube (CNT) inks for
conductive coatings and circuits for use in flat panel displays, OLED lighting,
solar cells, smart windows and other established markets. Eikos’ patented InvisiconTM transparent conductors (‘nanowires’)
will enable high volume, low cost production of a thinner, more flexible and
more durable conductive coating technology that will displace Indium Tin Oxide
(ITO) as the industry standard. A
privately held company headquartered in Franklin Massachusetts, Eikos has a
number of licenses and development contracts with major global companies,