Renesas Electronics has introduced two touch-free user interface (UI) solutions

     Renesas Electronics announced the launch of two touch-free user interface (UI) solutions to simplify application design based on 2D and 3D gesture control. The two new solutions are based on Renesas' capacitive sensor microcontrollers (MCUS) and support the development of user interfaces that allow users to control home appliances, industrial and OA devices without touching the device. This user interface solution enables appliance and equipment manufacturers to rapidly develop touch-free interfaces that increase the added value of their products in terms of device convenience and design.

     In many cases, such as when the user's hands are wet, cannot be touched, or when the touch is unsafe, touch-free operation has its special advantages. In the kitchen, for example, with Renesas Electronics' new touch-free user interface solution, users can adjust the water temperature and flow rate by hand gestures near the faucet, and the fan operation by hand gestures outside the boiler. Renesas' touch-free user interface solutions allow customers to easily deploy them in their embedded devices. The reference design for the solution is now available for download.

     Toru Moriya, Vice President, Home Business Division, Renesas Electronics, said, "We are very honored by the overwhelming response to the McU-based touch key solutions currently deployed by more than 200 Renesas customers and look forward to continuing to provide customers with solutions that bring new features and experiences to the market." The new touch-free solution represents another leap forward in the development of capacitive touch sensor systems with high sensitivity and good noise resistance that can operate in a variety of conditions, making the new user interface more user-friendly and easier to use in the home and workplace."

     The new gesture solution detects movements in 2D coordinates and 3D space respectively. For both solutions, Renesas provides reference design materials for MCUS with built-in capacitive touch capabilities, including hardware references (circuit diagrams, board design data files, and component lists), as well as coordinate calculation middleware, sample programs, application notes, and evaluation tools for monitoring the detected coordinates. The two touch-free user interface solutions have passed the IEC 61000 Level 4-3 (Note 1) and Level 4-6 (Note 2) noise immunity standard Level B (Note 3) tests and can achieve stable operation (Note 4).

     In addition to the new touch-free user interface solutions, Renesas offers touch-touch solutions for challenging or non-traditional touch materials, such as wood, and for devices that need to operate in wet, dirty environments, such as kitchens or factories. The development environment offered by Renesas includes QE for Capacitive Touch, Workbench6, solution suite and evaluation system for capacitive touch key development; In addition, it also includes the capacitive touch key MCU family such as Renesas Electronics RX130 product group, which is very suitable for the man-machine interface of industrial equipment and household appliances.