Strategic Relationships, cont.
Novint Technologies
Novint’s Falcon Controller is the first consumer
3-D touch controller that gives a user a very
precise sense of touch on a computer.
Novint Technologies, Inc., has
taken software it licensed from Sandia
and paired it with a 3-D touch controller
to make interactive “touch” possible
and practical for consumer applications
for the first time. With a product called
the Novint Falcon, users feel realistic
weight, shape, texture, dimension, dynamics,
and force effects. This technology,
called haptics, is applicable to many
fields, including military applications,
medical training and visualization, and
computer gaming.
To meet Sandia’s goal of commercializing
the technology and Novint’s
goal of getting financial backing,
negotiations took a creative turn. The
solution involved Sandia taking a stock
position in the company in lieu of most
royalties — representing a challenge, as
do most “firsts.”
Today Novint has raised $6.5 million
to expand its team and finalize a
design for its first commercial product.
The company, which went public in
2006, is partnering with game developers
to create games and software and
with hardware manufacturers to expand
the use of its technologies.
