If the last wave of interiors taught us anything, it’s that pure capacitive touch is a great design statement and a mediocre driving companion. Bumpy roads, gloves, cold hands, and the occasional accidental brush turn ‘minimalism’ into ‘Dammit, no; why did the temperature just change?’. TouchNetix’s new AX24A controller brings an elegant solution: it combines capacitive touch and force sensing so the interface can confirm intent, not just contact.
The AX24A is positioned specifically for button applications, supporting up to 22 touch/force buttons and enabling interaction patterns which are increasingly favored: touch selection that requires a force press to validate, or force-only activation behind conductive surfaces (even behind metal). This helps automakers keep the sleek ‘smart surface’ aesthetic while re-introducing a physical confirmation layer drivers intuitively trust (and fervently want back in their cars).
That combination matters in real cockpit architectures: a single trim surface can host discreet functions, gated interactions and feedback without turning the instrument panel into a permanent fingerprint museum.
