Arial view of the Advanced Input Systems facility.

Our Mission is to be the bridge connecting people with information, capabilities, and tools that enhance lives every day. 

Our Story

For over 40 years, AIS has been a global provider of Human Machine Interface products for the medical, commercial, and industrial markets, where technology, demanding requirements, and a need to operate in harsh environments must all come together into a seamless integration. Our decades of experience supporting a wide variety of applications for this customer base has produced deep core competencies that are always continuing to evolve. Today, we are focused more than ever on building trusted expertise by carefully listening to customers, using our experience to identify the unstated needs, and then utilizing a disciplined development and manufacturing approach to create intuitive HMI products.  We empower our team to drive increasing value for our customers throughout all levels of the organization. And at the heart of our culture lies an innovative DNA, the key strength in our ability to quickly adapt today and challenge what is possible for tomorrow’s Human Machine eXperience.

Our History

Advanced Input Systems started business in the late ’70s assembling keyboards for the budding personal computer industry.  AIS quickly expanded its capability beyond mass producing simple consumer-grade PC products to manufacturing far more sophisticated control panel systems that would eventually incorporate displays, touch screens, embedded computers, and a wide variety of custom-designed input technologies.   

1978

Founded in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and incorporated as Advanced Input Devices (AID). 

1999

AID is acquired by Esterline Technologies Corporation which was looking to expand its foothold with technology companies that could augment its existing aerospace and military holdings. 

2002

The company changed its name to Advanced Input Systems (AIS) to reflect its core business evolving to the pursuit of more complex system solutions (custom button panels, touch screen displays, joysticks, embedded computing…).

2009

AIS moved to call itself Esterline Advanced Input Systems as it sought to brand under the head corporation. 

2010

AIS expanded its headquarters from 85,000 ft2 to 139,000 ft2 as its business continued to thrive, primarily with the medical industry.

2011

Esterline grouped and branded AIS and other similarly focused companies as a single platform.  AIS changed its name to Esterline Interface Technologies (EIT) as it aligned with the new platform structure.  

  • The facility in Coeur d’Alene became designated as the headquarters for the entire EIT group.
  • One of the companies in the platform was Memtron Technologies, located in Frankenmuth, Michigan.  Having synergistic product lines, the Coeur d’Alene and the Frankenmuth sites began working very closely with each other.

2014

AIS started a joint venture in Taiwan called AIST (AIS Taiwan), that is dedicated to the assembly of touch display products.

2015

The former AIS and Memtron facilities merged under a single SG&A structure.

2019, March

Esterline was acquired in whole by TransDigm Group Inc. The Esterline branding is retired, and the Coeur d’Alene site rebranded back to Advanced Input Systems.

2019, September

TransDigm moved to become uniquely focused on aerospace products, and nothing else.  With AIS focused on Medical and Industrial markets, a new owner was sought for and found with KPS Capital Partners (KPS). 

  • AIS and two other acquisitions from TransDigm (Gamesman and LRE Medical) are designated by KPS to be the start of a new family of companies that focus on the design and manufacture of human-machine interface solutions and products
  • The parent of the new group becomes AIS Global and is headquartered at the original AIS facility in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. 

2020, January

AIS fully acquires the joint venture AIST.