Live Theater Session by Microchip Technology: Converging Heating and Touch Sensing: Low-Cost Solutions for Steering Wheels and Radiant Heating

Session details:

ADAS and vehicle electrification are driving the development of new features in modern cars. One key area of focus is driver monitoring, particularly for Hands-Off Detection (HoD) on steering wheels. These steering wheels are also typically heated, bringing two systems into a single area. Microchip’s single-element heat and sense solution combines heating and capacitive sensing into one component, eliminating the need for separate, dedicated elements. This integration reduces system complexity and significantly lowers costs in a traditionally expensive area. One element now does the work of two, providing both heating and sensing capabilities.

The solution goes beyond HoD—it also simplifies the structure of radiant heating elements. Radiant heating is increasingly used in modern vehicles to ensure faster time-to-comfort for drivers and passengers during cold weather, delivering a cozy driving experience even before the engine warms up. Electric vehicles benefit even more, as radiant heating can reduce energy consumption for cabin heating by up to 30%. Microchip’s single-element heat and sense solution enables the deployment of heating elements at significantly lower cost, streamlining system design while enhancing efficiency.