CRI听力:Immersion Corporation Partner with Letv to Produce 4D Phones

Chinese video streaming company LeTV has partnered with NASDAQ-listed haptic technology solution provider Immersion Corporation to bring 4D videos to smartphones.

Haptic, originally a Greek term is based on the concept of using various types of vibrations to give the user a more interactive feeling.

John Pattern is the General Manager of Immersion Corporation.

"We did do a deal with Letv, where we allow haptics to be matched up to the entertainment you are watching. In that Letv deal they have a 4d app and if you go into the 4d category and you can watch the newest James Bond trailer, for the specter movie, you can watch Expendables 3, you can watch Hotel Transylvania 2 and other trailers. And as part of that every experience, if a bomb goes off your whole phone shakes, if a gun shoots you can feel it. Feel and touch as a part of that experience and we are seeing that drive engagement and positive user experience."

The partnership with Letv is the only latest collaboration Immersion Corporation has made with Chinese firms. The American based company previously released a haptic technology special version of the popular mobile game fruit ninja in China, and they have already launched several deals, branching out to a wide range of Chinese companies.

John Pattern Talked about Immersion Corporation's relationship with China.

"I expect China to be one of the leaders in this; we've certainly seen how smartphone usage has become part of everyday life in China. So I think the acceptance level of new technology and what we are doing with the sense of touch, I expect China to be an industry leader in this. We have seen fruit ninja take off and really do quite well with haptics. We have seen Letv take James Bond and do this. Prior to these entertainment deals with have done deals with Xiaomi, Huawei and Meizu and they have taken their overall handsets and equipping them with haptics."

While at first glance, haptics may look like another gimmick used to enhance theatre productions; it actually extends beyond Hollywood and is also a very innovative lifestyle tool.

John Pattern talked about some of their other objectives of Immersion Corporation.

"We really believe haptics has great reach into every digital device interaction. It can create ways for the device to interact with you through a distinctive notification, through something that's maybe private it creates a deeper emotional connection, through technology between two people you can give the user the sense that what the user is doing in the digital world is more real. There are all sorts of ways that haptics can, you name the application, boost what they are looking to do with the mobile phone or tablet."

The partnership Immersion has made with Letv is still young and they have already produced some impressive trailers. This also seems like only the beggining of what this technology can potentially do. Haptics technology will not affect the operating speed of a smartphone or tablet device and will only be marginally more taxing on battery life. So it seems like we may be in store for more futuristic, personal productions via haptics in the future.

CRI's Sam Duckett reports.