get in touch
Printed Circuit Haptics gold script artwork from the T-shirt design
Custom shape, interaction, feedback
Compact PCB integrated actuators
Cost surprisingly small BOM
Demonstrator device with a haptic rotary knob and multidirectional joystick-style interaction

the “joypot” — a universal demo unit

An innovative haptic tech stack

This technology reaches beyond haptic knobs. The same principles can adapt to switches, buttons, moving faders, jog wheels, and unusual interface geometries. Multiple prototypes have already proven the architecture across different control categories. More detail is available on request.

Why use haptic feedback at all?

For users, touch makes controls easier to understand without looking. For product designers, it turns one physical interface into a richer, more expressive part of the product experience.

  • Controls communicate function by touch, not only through the display.
  • Users gain orientation, confidence, speed, and muscle memory.
  • One control can feel different by role, mode, zone, or state.

The actuator is embedded directly into the electro-mechanical stack

PCB traces and permanent magnets create direct haptic actuation. The PCB is not just the carrier; it becomes part of the tactile system. Feedback is actively controlled, rather than added as a passive vibration motor.

Embedded low-profile construction reduces mechanical overhead in compact hardware.

Section schematic of the integrated PCB haptic actuator stack
Magnetic field simulation of a PCB coil haptic actuator

A PCB coil design toolchain and simulation-based workflow speed up iteration on actuator geometry, field behavior, and force profiles. Actuators can be customized to your product requirements.

Reference design used by:

Nonlinear Labs C15 synthesizer with integrated PCB-based haptic controls

At Superbooth 2026, Nonlinear Labs presents a new instrument with integrated PCB haptics by heartwerk.tech. The reference implementation brings tactile parameter states, detents, and dynamic feel into the expressive world of their music synthesizers.

Further example applications

PCB haptics can live in quiet product surfaces, mobile spaces, and unusual physical interfaces.

  • Custom Contextual parameters Controls can be shaped around the product: compact, directional, pressure-aware, or intentionally unusual.
  • Rotary Polywaker bedside control Knob-based adjustment, alarm states, and quiet tactile confirmation in one compact product surface.
  • Linear + switching Slider, fader, and button surfaces Linear travel can carry soft limits, center regions, detents, end stops, toggle states, and button thresholds.
  • Hybrid Expressive audio console Rotary controls, push gestures, mapped detents, and display-driven states can work together.

Discover options for your product

Choose the level of support that fits your product stage, from early strategy to integration-ready implementation.

  • Guidance and consulting Clarify why haptics matter, which interaction patterns are worth pursuing, and whether this technology is the right fit. Consulting and workshops are also available with our partners at HapticLabs.
  • Established electrical and mechanical stack PCB design, magnetic-field simulation, and mechanical workflows tuned together for compact actuators and reliable force profiles.
  • Signal processing and software development Real-time control, driver logic, sensing pipelines, and expressive mapping that turn raw field behavior into intentional tactile response.
  • Holistic feature integration Prototype, validate, and integrate the haptic feature in your context, with knowledge transfer for teams and support until and beyond product launch.

Get in touch