Touch Solutions

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What is a Touch Solution?

In the word of electronics “Touch” is widely known in the context of a user-input device similar to a mouse or keyboard and brought into a whole new context with the advent of the Apple iPhone.

What are the different types of Touch Solutions?

Its been stated that touch screens have been around since the 1960s but back then they were very simple and no where near the number of different types today offers.

  • These types include:
  • Resistive – Analog and digital
  • Capacitive – Surface and projected
  • Optical - Infrared sensing or imaging
  • Wave – Surface acoustic or bending, and Pressure force based

Applications for the Touch Solutions

As noted above the Apple iPhone is a good example of one application of a touch panel, but there are many more uses. The Apple iPhone as well as their iPad product use projected capacitive technology touch panels, but there are many more resistive touch panels in use in products today. When you sign your name after a credit card transaction you’re more apt to be using a resistive touch panel.

ATM machines, industrial equipment, vending machine, video kiosks, gaming machines, car navigation devices, etc. are all just some of the applications for touch panels. The current technology of choice for touch panels is projected capacitive and is seeing more uses in medical related product applications, even replacing components like trackballs, one because there are no moving parts plus ease of cleaning.