Key Facts:
  • Decrease automotive 3D HMI design costs with Microchip’s new gesture controller
  • MGC3140 offers durable single-chip solution for advanced automotive HMI designs
  • Easy-to-use 3D gesture controllers are the first to be qualified for automotive use
  • Enables reliable sensing in full sunlight and with sensors of any conductive material
 
 
Car manufacturers are increasingly seeking ways to reduce driver distraction through implementing functional safety technology in vehicles. Many Human Machine Interface (HMI) designers are turning to gesture recognition as a solution to improve driver and vehicle safety without sacrificing interior design, adding features that allow drivers to easily control everything from switching on lights to answering phone calls while focusing on the road. Microchip Technology Inc. today announced a new three-dimensional (3D) gesture recognition controller that offers the lowest system cost in the automotive industry, providing a durable single-chip solution for advanced automotive HMI designs. The MGC3140 joins Microchip’s family of easy-to-use 3D gesture controllers as the first qualified for automotive use.
 
Suited for a range for applications that limit driver distraction and add convenience to vehicles, Microchip’s new capacitive technology-based air gesture controller is ideal for navigating infotainment systems, sun shade operation, interior lighting and other applications. The technology also supports the opening of foot-activated rear liftgates and any other features a manufacturer wishes to incorporate with a simple gesture action. The MGC3140 is Automotive Electronics Council AEC-Q100 qualified with an operating temperature range of -40 to +125 degrees Celsius, and it meets the strict electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements of automotive system designs. Each 3D gesture system consists of a sensor that can be constructed from any conductive material, as well as the Microchip gesture controller tuned for each individual application.
 
“With the MGC3140, we’re bringing a proven gesture technology that provides an intuitive human interface to reduce driver distraction in vehicles,” said Fanie Duvenhage, vice president of Microchip’s Human Machine Interface business unit. “Microchip is committed to supporting the automotive market with a growing portfolio of touch and gesture controllers alongside leading technical support. This device gives customers a cost-effective gesture solution without compromising on the interior design of a vehicle.”