Immersion Corporation has announced that it has joined the LiMo Foundation. Immersion’s TouchSense® haptics technology is now available to LiMo platform developers for designing innovative user experiences that engage the sense of touch.

The LiMo Foundation is a global consortium of major mobile industry leaders dedicated to creating the first open, hardware-independent, Linux-based operating system for mobile devices. The foundation is the unifying force in mobile Linux, featuring leading ISVs spanning all areas of the mobile value chain, OEMs that have brought 42 handset models to market and 12 global network operators representing nearly a billion mobile consumers.

"Touch feedback is key to optimum user experiences in digital devices; the full potential of a touchscreen isn’t realized without it. As a member of the LiMo Foundation, we’re now able to offer the power of our haptics technology to this growing ecosystem," said Craig Vachon, senior vice president and general manager of Immersion's Touch line of business. “We look forward to working with LiMo developers and manufacturers, to accelerate innovation in mobile user experiences."

Immersion’s TouchSense API will be made available to the LiMo platform and is free for development efforts. LiMo handset device manufacturers may separately license Immersion’s haptic player to deliver effects.

"Today's mobile consumer audience is far more sophisticated and technologically savvy than in years past," said Morgan Gillis, Executive Director, LiMo Foundation. "As demand for handset personalization and rich feature support accelerates, touch screen technology will continue to play a critical role in mobile device development. Immersion's contribution and participation in LiMo enables us to meet this demand today while advancing toward the innovative, emerging technologies of tomorrow."

TouchSense technology improves efficiency by providing confirmation of touchscreen presses, and adds improved accuracy, depth and fun to content such as ringtones, videos, games, and music. All of the top three cell phone manufacturers, LG, Samsung and Nokia, have incorporated Immersion’s haptics technology. To date, more than 70 million handsets with Immersion’s high-fidelity, programmable haptics technology have shipped around the world.