Toyoda Gosei Co., Ltd. will show at CES 2020 a novel material it has developed called e-Rubber, a rubber that moves with electricity.

e-Rubber can function both as a soft, flexible and sensitive sensor and as an actuator capable of gentle, human-like movements. Its use in haptics devices can provide a more realistic experience by adding the sense of touch to images (sight) and sound (hearing) in augmented reality (AR), which is expected to grow in use with the spread of 5G wireless technology.

Taking advantage of the strengths of e-Rubber as both an actuator and a sensor, e-Rubber devices can simulate the tactile sensations felt when a person touches an object. At CES, users will be able experience life-like tactile sensations such as the softness of objects drawn with computer graphics.

Toyoda, a Toyota gGroup company, is focusing efforts on the development of e-Rubber and other new technologies, taking advantage of the knowledge in rubber, plastics and other fields it has cultivated through development and production of automotive parts and LEDs.

In the automotive field, Toyoda Gosei’s next-generation steering wheels and airbags for autonomous driving cars can be seen in the near-future interior model MX191 exhibited at the booth of Toyota Boshoku Corporation.