VRFmmopy5

Tapping into touch screens


Most of us are pretty familiar with touch screens. We use this

technology daily with our phones, computers, at the ATM, or at the

grocery store checkout. Even restaurants have implemented touch

display ordering and payment right at the table. Even though we’re

constantly tapping and swiping our screens all day long, few of us

can actually answer the question: how do touch screens work?


We’re here to help uncover the mystery behind these interactive

screens. Together, we can finally dispel the rumor that touch screens

are operated by miniature robot elves completing your pointer finger

’s many commands. Let’s discuss the most common touch screen

technologies, how you can differentiate them, how they work, and how

these technologies have impacted our daily lives.

Capacitive vs resistive touch screens
With the first touch screen debuting in 1965, we’ve seen incredible

advancements in touch screen technology and computing technology in

general. If we told E.A. Johnson that over 2 billion people currently

carry touch screens in their pockets every day, he probably wouldn’t

have believed us. But that same technology he developed for the Royal

Radar Establishment helped shape the future of the modern touch

screen technology that we use daily [1].


There are many iterations of touch screen technology including

infrared and surface acoustic wave (SAW), but there are two that most

of us are familiar with. The most common

smart

touch board screens we interact with today are capacitive and

resistive touch screens. Let’s get to know how these technologies

work, and where you’ll see each.



Capacitive touch screen technology is the style we interact with

most. This is the kind of display we see in our smartphones, laptops,

and tablet screens, and digital signage.


Capacitive screens are made up of multiple layers of glass and

plastic, coated with a conductor material like indium tin oxide or

copper. This conductive material responds when contacted by another

electrical conductor, like your bare finger. When you touch your

screen, an electric circuit is completed at the point where your

finger makes contact, changing the electrical charge at this

location. Your device registers this information as a “touch event.

”


Once a touch event has been registered, the screen’s receptors

signal this event to the operating system, prompting a response from

your device. This is the application’s interface that you

experience.


Capacitive touch screens generally have a brighter, clearer

appearance and are much more sensitive than resistive touch

smart board

screens. We tend to see capacitive touch screens in more modern

technologies like smartphones and tablets. They give us the ability

to experience high-quality imagery that imitates reality.


With social media so integrated into our lives, we’re constantly

sharing and experiencing life through our devices. Being able to

interact with high-quality applications with ease is made possible

with the latest capacitive touch screens.


Resistive touch screens
Resistive touch screens work exactly how their name implies - with

resistance to touch. A glass or hard plastic layer is blanketed by a

resistive metallic layer that conducts charge. The two are separated

by spacers in the screen so that when your finger presses firmly on

the plastic protective layer, the two layers make contact changing

the electric charge at that location, which cues the software to

respond.


Resistive screens are not as bright as capacitive because of

their thick blue and yellow colored layers that make their interface

appear darker than capacitive screens. You’ll often see resistive

screens used on ATM machines, checkout stands, and POS (point of

sale) terminals. They tend to be much more durable and affordable

than capacitive screens, thanks to that hard plastic outer layer.


Each screen has strengths and weaknesses that make it a better

choice for certain applications. Capacitive screens with

portable monitor

offer more flexibility in functionality as resistive screens

lack the ability to register multiple touch points at the same time.


Think about when you zoom in on your smartphone - you’re using

two fingers at different receptors to zoom in on an image. Resistive

touch screens get confused when you try to apply multiple points to

them, since their technology relies on recognizing pressure at a

specific location.


What touch screens detect
What touch displays detect differs depending on if the screen is

capacitive or resistive. Resistive screens rely on applied pressure

which means that sometimes the tip of a pen or another object can

initiate a response from the system. Capacitive touch screens use

electrical conductors rather than pressure to recognize a command and

respond.


But have you ever wondered why capacitive touch screens seem to only

work with skin? While that’s not entirely the case, capacitive

screens do depend on a specific amount of electrical charge to get a

response from the operating system.

This means that other objects with the same charge as your bare

finger could complete the same request when using your phone, tablet,

or interactive touch

screen laptop. This is why touch screens respond to styluses,

special gloves, and the occasional pocket-dial.


Before you slip on a pair of gloves ready to text all of your friends

about how awesome your new gloves are though, you may want to make

sure you’ve got the right pair. Touch screen gloves use conductive

thread in the fingertips to maintain the natural electric charge of

your finger. This means that not just any glove will be able to

register your touch, so make sure you get the right kind of gloves

before braving the winter with your smartphone.


While conductive threads and styluses work with touch displays, other

objects like a regular pen will not. The difference is in the

electric charge of the object. Pens actually have too much electrical

charge for a touch screen to recognize. Your screen depends on the

perfect recipe of electric charge to complete your requests.

Fascinating, isn’t it?


Screen protectors
If touch screens work based on their ability to conduct and receive

energy, how do touch screen protectors work?


Capacitive touch screens detect electrical current so they don’t

need to experience the pressure of your finger like resistive screens

do. If your screen protector uses electrically transparent material,

it won’t affect the functionality of your screen because it will

still be able to register the change in electric charge.


The good news is that as technology in touch screens has advanced, so

have their durability. Touch

TV Screen protectors aren’t as necessary now as they were when

consumers were first introduced to touch screen products. Many of us

are still scarred by the first time we shattered the glass display on

our shiny new device. Contrary to over-protective techies, you don’t

need to worry so much about the safety of your screen thanks to

developments in materials.


Most devices use scratch-resistant material like Gorilla? Glass to

protect your screen if it takes a short tumble - though we do not

recommend testing your screen’s limits. It’s a durable glass, not

the Incredible Hulk. For those who may be coordination-challenged,

screen protectors are still a good option to keep your screen in

pristine condition.


Most screen protectors are either made of plastic or tempered glass.

Plastic protectors help to protect from scratching but don’t do much

for impact. If you’re one of those coordination-challenged

individuals we mentioned earlier, you may want to consider leveling

up to a tempered glass protector, and maybe even a sturdy case to go

along with it.


Depending on the thickness of the plastic, you may feel a difference

in the sensitivity of your touch screen. Tempered glass adds a thick

layer to your screen as well, but the feel is closer to your device’

s original screen.