SensAble Technologies
15 Constitution Way
Woburn, MA 01801
T: 781-937-8315
F: 781-937-8325
info@sensable.com

Woburn, MA, March 26, 2004 - SensAble Technologies, Inc.®, leading supplier of the broadest range of haptic devices and toolkits for haptic application development, announced today the immediate availability of the 3D Touch™ SDK and Haptic Device API (HDAPI). This new SDK supports the SensAble™ PHANTOM® devices-including the new PHANTOM® Omni™ device-and enables the integration of haptics with existing third-party applications. Demonstrations of basic integration with Open Inventor from TGS, Reachin Technologies' Reachin API™, Discreet's 3ds max®, Id Software's Quake, UNC's dAb Paint Simulation, Handshake Interactive's TiDeC™ Teleoperation ToolBox, and CMU's advanced deformation will be featured at the IEEE Virtual Reality 2004 conference in Chicago, March 28-31, 2004.
The 3D Touch SDK provides a new, extensible architecture that offers a framework for multiple layers of capabilities. The foundation of this new architecture is the Haptic Device API (HDAPI). The HDAPI enables haptic programmers to render forces directly, offers control over configuring the runtime behavior of the drivers, and provides convenient utility features and debugging aids.

Key features and benefits include:

• Optimized interface to the SensAble PHANTOM haptic devices, including the new PHANTOM® Omni®™ device
• Architected to be extensible and OS platform-independent
• Software control over:
  • User-definable haptic servo-loop for ideal performance
  • Error handling and safety limits for an optimal user experience
  • Scheduling user-defined callbacks within the haptic thread for maximum control over synchronization
  • Direct access to encoder values and control over motor DAC values for advanced programming 
• Available with source code examples to speed implementation

A key aspect of the new 3D Touch SDK is that 3D navigation and haptics can be easily integrated with existing third-party applications. Examples of basic integration with Open Inventor from TGS and the TiDeC™ Teleoperation ToolBox from Handshake Interactive Technologies Inc. will be featured at the upcoming IEEE Virtual Reality 2004 conference.

Open Inventor from TGS - Using the Haptic Device API and the PHANTOM Omni device, Mike Heck, CTO for TGS, completed the basic integration to haptically-enable Open Inventor's standard set of manipulators and draggers in less than a month. "SensAble's new API and PHANTOM Omni device allowed us to quickly add 3D navigation and haptic guides to Open Inventor's standard manipulators", said Mike Heck. "We are dedicated to providing our customers with state-of-the-art technology and capabilities and we see haptics as one of those capabilities. TGS's integration of the SensAble Technologies haptic solution in Open Inventor will allow our customers to easily and effectively add this functionality to both new and existing applications."

The initial release of the HDAPI developers kit for Windows® that includes the PHANTOM Omni device will be available beginning March 31, 2004. Linux and MacOS X versions are planned for later in 2004. For more information please contact info@sensable.com or call +1-781-937-8315 or contact a SensAble-authorized Haptic Devices and Toolkits Reseller near you or visit us online at www.sensable.com.

About SensAble Technologies
SensAble Technologies is a leading provider of 3D touch-enabled digital solutions for product design, digital content creation and fine arts, commercial software development, and academic and commercial research. At the core of SensAble products is the PHANTOM line of haptic devices, which makes it possible for users to touch and manipulate virtual objects. SensAble offers the FreeForm systems for product design, the ClayTools systems for digital content creation and fine arts, and the broadest range of haptic devices and toolkits for haptic application development. SensAble maintains headquarters in the United States and a sales office in Japan. SensAble products are available through direct and reseller channels. Product and corporate information: www.sensable.com.

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© 2006 SensAble Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. ClayTools, FreeForm, FreeForm Modeling, OpenHaptics, PHANTOM, PHANTOM Omni, SensAble, and SensAble Technologies, Inc. are trademarks or registered trademarks of SensAble Technologies, Inc. Other brand and product names are trademarks of their respective holders.

SensAble Technologies, Inc., 15 Constitution Way, Woburn, MA 01801. Tel: +1-781-937-8315, Fax: +1-781-937-8325, Web: www.sensable.com, Email: info@sensable.com.