Three Main Kinds Of Touchscreen Technology
Three Main Kinds Of Touchscreen Technology
Touchscreens are becoming a popular way of interacting with electronics. They are intuitive and require no other hardware except for a finger in order to operate. On small devices, such as smartphones, they enable a level of interactivity which would be otherwise impossible. On larger devices, such as laptops, they provide precision which a trackpad can´t match.
There are many different types of touchscreen technology, and they work in different ways. The functionality that you are looking for will determine which type of touchscreen technology is best for your needs.
Resistive Touchscreens
A resistive touchscreen has two thin layers of flexible material which are separated slightly within the touchscreen. When a person touches the screen, the top material flexes and comes into contact with the lower material. This registers a touch.
Resistive touchscreens are not known as the most pleasant touchscreens to use because they tend to feel slow to respond. Most resistive touchscreens do not support multi-touch. However, resistive touchscreens are inexpensive for manufacturers and they work with any sort of touch, including objects such as a stylus. Resistive touchscreens are found in smartphones, convertible tablet laptops and touchscreen desktop computers.
Capacitive Touchscreens
A capacitive touchscreen has a glass display which is coated with a transparent conductive material. When a person touches a capacitive screen the small electrical current present in the human body causes a slight change in the voltage of the conductive material. Sensors in the device detect this change and use it to determine where the touch occurred.
Capacitive touchscreens are very quick to respond to touch, and most devices with capacitive touchscreens are multi-touch capable. Capacitive touchscreens won´t work with a stylus because a stylus is not conductive. A hand covered by a glove will also be unable to operate the touchscreen. The iPhone and iPad both use a capacitive touchscreen, as do some other smartphones and tablet devices.
Infrared Touchscreens
An Infrared touchscreens works by using focused beams of infrared light along with sensors. This creates a grid of light which is invisible to the human eye similar to the security systems depicted in movies. When a person touch the screen the beams of light are blocked or distorted, allowing the system to determine where a touch occurred.
Infrared touchscreen technology is not a part of the display itself. Instead the infrared beams and sensors exist in a frame which goes around the display. This means that any display can potentially use this technology. However, the frame itself is bulky, which means this technology can´t be used in portable devices. Infrared touchscreens are most often used on point-of-sale terminals in businesses. Because the beams of light will be distorted by any object an Infrared touchscreen can be used with a stylus.
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