Trondheim, Norway, 7th October 2025 – GE-T GmbH and TouchNetix today announce a strategic collaboration to deliver a breakthrough in automotive safety technology. By combining GE-T’s innovation expertise with TouchNetix’s advanced solutions, the partnership has resulted in a new feature for steering wheel hands-off detection (HOD).

The solution, powered by TouchNetix’s Pilot ID technology, identifies the user operating the steering wheel and enables dynamic adjustment of HMI functions. Crucially, it detects when there is no contact with the wheel, allowing safety protocols to activate after a predefined period of inactivity.

When the driver grips the wheel, their unique signal ID is detected, ensuring that only the driver can carry out driver-specific functions.

With aXiom’s single-chip technology, the HOD feature can be seamlessly combined with other advanced touch and force sensing capabilities and easily integrated into existing automotive components. With no additional sensing mats required, this solution also offers significant cost savings compared to other solutions on the market. 

“Sometimes, subtle yet powerful advances in foundational technologies unlock major innovations in application domains. That’s exactly what our new PilotDetect technology represents, powered by the exceptional sensitivity of TouchNetix’s aXiom chips. We’re proud to partner with TouchNetix in our shared mission to deliver smart, reliable, and competitive solutions to the industry,” said Matthias Arndt, Head of Sales and inventor of PilotDetect at GE-T GmbH.

Dr. Gaute Myklebust, CEO of TouchNetix, added: “We’re excited to collaborate with GE-T to bring this innovative hands-off detection feature to market. Our shared commitment to smarter and safer automotive features is reflected in a solution that’s not only technically advanced but commercially viable for automotive manufacturers.”