Tag Archive for: touch sensors

Touchless Gestures – the next frontier of touch technology

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Big changes in touch and interactivity are coming quickly (see the Top 5 Touch Trends segment) and the concept of “touchless gestures” or enhanced motion recognition has the potential to change a lot of what we know about touch. The good news for touch screen manufacturers is that this touchless technology is a long way off from claiming any sizable share of the marketplace for a couple of reasons:

1)  Let’s face it, touchless gestures are not yet practical for many touch screen applications.
2)  These emerging technologies are still largely in their infancy.
3)  The market hasn’t found a good place for them yet.

But touchless gestures are a cool idea, and are, no doubt, part of our interactive future. The popularity of Nintendo’s Wii has demonstrated the need for enhanced motion recognition and digital interaction with display devices. And now Sony, with the Move, and Microsoft, with Kinect, have signaled a substantial response to the Wii, enabling much more sophisticated interactive capabilities [Mark Fihn, Top 5 Touch Trends].

This video below from the Virtopsy Project shows that there is, in fact, huge potential for these motion recognition devices and demonstrates how Microsoft’s Kinect can be used to control a Medical PACS system. I don’t think the technology is quite where it needs to be, but the Virtopsy Project presents some real food for thought.

See the Virtopsy Project in motion: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6CT-YDChmE

Signing out.

Touch Girl.

Can I hurt a touch screen by touching it? – Ben Harris, Cucamonga, CA

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Ah Ben, the question we Touch guys have always feared. I assume your question is akin to asking, “Does it hurt a tire if you use it on the road?” However, I think what you really mean is, “Does touching the screen wear it out”?

Well in the early days of touch (1970’s), some touch sensors did wear out when finger oils, ladies’ hand creams and Hawaiian-breezes corroded the thin films. (Hmm, wonder what those creams did to their hands?)

Today, all sensors are advertised to withstand a minimum of 5 million touches. It is even rumored that the president of one unnamed touch company (Microtouch) hired a homeless guy to actually touch the screen that many times. Each of the technologies wear out differently and there is a difference between electrical wear (it does not work anymore) and cosmetic wear (the display is hard to read).

The newest entry into the touch arena is also the most vulnerable to electrical failure. When the in-cell technology fails, it is going to take your display with it, so it’s a double whammy on the checkbook. This happens because you must actually touch and depress the LCD surface itself, which puddles the liquid crystal and scratches the first surface. (Remember your mother telling you to keep your hands off the TV?)

Surface capacitive is the most vulnerable to electrical wear. Touching the same spot multiple times will actually wear through the thin film, down to the glass substrate, rendering it non-linear. Of course, a big scratch from a diamond ring will do-it-in quickly. And bye-bye to SAW technology when that same guy puts a big ‘ol scratch in it too.

In terms of electrical and cosmetic failures, resistive 4-wire touch screens are the most vulnerable. Touching in one place will rub a shiny spot in the hard coat of the top polyester (PET) layer. Touching in this same spot will also wear and crack the top conductive layer and leave it an electrical basket-case. The same number of touches on a 5-wire resistive will not damage it electrically; however the same glossy spot will appear.

In the end, the winners in the wear-me-out contest are projected capacitive (p-cap) and Infra-Red which work without needing to touch anything. Nothing to wear, no electrical surface to scratch and thus these two touch technologies can advertise infinite electrical life.

So Benny, as is the case with that tire, there are 10,000 mile touch screens and 1,000,000 mile touch screens, it just depends.

Until next time,
Touch Guy