Bayer MaterialScience and ViviTouch Electroactive Polymers Offer Touching Experience

Cincinnati, OH, April 29, 2013 --(PR.com)-- By providing effects that evoke sensations as diverse as a rolling pinball, running engine or human heartbeat in the palm of your hand or bring rich, full-bodied sounds to your ears just like you were experiencing it live, ViviTouch® technology is changing how consumers experience their favorite electronics.

The technology, developed by Artificial Muscle, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Bayer MaterialScience, is based on thin polymer films that can rapidly stretch and contract, like artificial muscles. Electroactive polymers (EAPs) have the ability to change shape when voltage is applied and transform electrical energy directly into motion.

ViviTouch® produces haptic responses that immerse users in a high-definition (HD) world of tactile experience. The technology – with response times in the milliseconds – is ideal to create HD haptic effects. Thanks to a new type of ultra-thin, highly efficient electrical motor, it also uses up to 70 percent less energy than conventional vibratory motors.

Xina Quan, an Artificial Muscle scientist, detailed how EAPs bring real feel technology to the gaming experience as well as enhance bass response in headphones during her presentation, “Electroactive Polymers – A Touching Experience.” Quan recently presented during the Smart Polymers session at the ANTEC® 2013 technical conference.

Now commercially available, ViviTouch® is garnering strong interest from the consumer electronics market, especially in gaming and headphone applications.

“Headphones with our technology offer a much more vivid audio experience without raising the sound volume to ear-damaging levels,” Quan said. “The enhanced bass tones provide listeners with a personalized, mobile experience that sounds strikingly like a live concert experience.”

ANTEC, produced by The Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE), is the largest technical conference dedicated to the plastics industry in the United States. It’s taking place April 21-25, at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati.

About Bayer MaterialScience LLC:
Bayer MaterialScience LLC is one of the leading producers of high-performance plastics in North America and is part of the global Bayer MaterialScience business with approximately 14,500 employees at 30 production sites around the world and 2012 sales of 11.5 billion euros. The company manufactures high-tech polymer materials and develops innovative solutions for products used in many areas of daily life. The main segments served are the automotive, electrical and electronics, construction, medical, and sports and leisure industries. Sustainability is central to Bayer MaterialScience LLC’s business and is based around the key areas of innovation, product stewardship, social responsibility and respect for the environment.