Different Types of Touch Screen With Their Evolving History

In This Article:

• Introduction
• What is a Touchscreen and How Does it Work?
• Features of a Touch Display Technology
• When Did Touch Screen Come Out? The Evolution Explained
• Different Types of Touch Screen
• FAQs
• Conclusion

What is a Touchscreen and How Does it Work?

A touchscreen is an interface through which we can interact directly with an electronic device. We can give input and receive output through the touchscreen. Touch display technology has eliminated the necessity of buttons, keyboards, and other input/output peripherals. Touchscreen has made devices more compact and user-friendly.

Touchscreens identify input by the electrical properties of the human body. Our fingerprints have a conductive nature. The touchscreen can sense this conductivity and read it as an input. Resistive and capacitive touchscreen use a touch panel in front of electronic displays such as LCDs and OLEDs to activate the touch detection technology.

We can scroll, select, zoom, draw, and slide items on the touchscreen with the touch display technology. It has made navigation, selection, and multitasking easier on smartphones and tablets.

Features of a Touch Display Technology

There are many key features of touch display technology. Here are the most important features described.

1. Multi-touch support: Touch display technology supports multi-touch. Multi-touch supportability is important for interactive whiteboards, gaming consoles, smartphones, and laptops.
2. High resolution: Touchscreens can have high resolutions like 4096×2304 for smartphones, 4096×4096 for high-end technology, and 3840×2160 for 4K Ultra High Definition(UHD) touchscreens.
3. Gesture and object recognition: Touch Screens can recognize human gestures and objects accurately.
4. Real-time interaction: Touchscreens can interact with users in real-time. Real-time interaction means the immediate response and communication capabilities between the touch input and the touchscreen interface. It enables instant feedback, multi-touch support, low latency, dynamic input recognition, and enhanced interactivity.
5. Precision: Precision refers to the accuracy and sensitivity of a touch screen. Some touchscreens, like projected capacitive touch, have excellent precision. Touchscreen devices can detect and respond to user input (touches, taps, swipes) or gestures.
6. Response time: It is the time a touchscreen takes to identify, detect, and respond to any input. Some touch screens, like projected capacitive touch, have good response times.

When Did Touch Screen Come Out? The Evolution Explained

Have you ever thought about the evolution of touch display technology? If not, let’s reveal the historical background of the touchscreen technology.

E.A. Johnson introduced capacitive touch display technology at the Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern, United Kingdom, between 1965 and 1967.

In 1968, Johnson published an essay providing a comprehensive overview of touch screen technology applications in air traffic technology. This invention opened a new era of technological advancement.

Another influential name in touch screen development is Doctor Sam Hurst who invented the first touch sensor in 1971 and established Elographics later. Hurst was a teacher at the University of Kentucky during that invention.

The research foundation of Kentucky University first patented the sensor by the name Elograph.

While the Elograph did not function like modern touch panels, it represents a key advancement in the evolution of touch screen technology. Developed in 1973, it was one of the most significant technical innovations of its time.

Later in 1974 Elographics and Sam Hurst introduced the first actual touch panel. He released it as a see-through panel by Eurographics. In 1977, Elographics developed a resistive touch technology as the continuity of their invention.

In 1977, Siemens Corporation funded Elographics to develop a curved glass touch sensor, leading to the creation of the first touch display screen by Elographics. In 1994, the company rebranded itself as EloTouchSystems.

Renowned computer manufacturing company Hewlett-Packard used touch technology in the home computer model HP-150 in 1983. The HP-150 had an embedded infrared grid beam at the front side of the display which was capable of fingerprint motion detection. The infrared display sensor was dust-sensitive and needed to be wiped out.

In the nineties decade touch technology was introduced in cellphones and personal computers. In 1993, Apple released a personal digital assistant (PDA) that featured built-in handwriting recognition software. In the same year, IBM introduced the first smartphone with a calendar, notepad, and fax in the touch interface with dialable phone numbers.

In 1996, Palm Technology developed an advanced technology touch display in their personal digital assistant (PDA).

Microsoft inaugurated the Windows XP Tablet Version in 2002 with touch technology. In 2007, Apple introduced its touch technology-based iPhone. After that, the touch screen has become the standard interface for smartphones.

We are now in the age of advanced touchscreen technologies such as projected capacitive touchscreens (PCAP), infrared touchscreens, capacitive touchscreens, and surface acoustic wave (SAW) touchscreens.

Different Types of Touch Screen

Different types of touchscreens are available in the market. Some of the most common and advanced touchscreen types are described below:

1. Resistive Touchscreen: It is the most common touchscreen technology. It has two electrically conductive layers separated by a narrow gap. When touch is applied to the screen the two layers make contact and enable the device to identify the exact touch location.
   The resistive touchscreen is durable and resistant to contaminants and is widely used in industrial and medical equipment.
2. Capacitive Touchscreen: Capacitive touchscreens consist of a glass panel coated with a transparent conductor. When the finger touches the screen, it changes the electrostatic field at that point to detect the touch location. Capacitive touchscreens are widely used in smartphones and tablets due to their multi-touch supporting capability. This touchscreen is durable and clear.
3. Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Touch Screen: SAW touchscreens work by transferring ultrasonic waves across the screen surface. When we touch the SAW screen, a portion of the wave is absorbed, and the system calculates the touch location based on the disruption. This enables excellent image quality for high-definition displays.
4. Optical Imaging Touch Screens: Optical imaging touchscreens use infrared cameras and light to detect touch input. When an object touches the screen, it blocks the light and the system detects the touch point based on the camera data.
   This touchscreen is scalable and cost-effective for larger screens like interactive whiteboards and digital signage.
5. Infrared Touch Screens: Infrared touch screens utilize an array of X-Y infrared LED and photodetector pairs around the edges of the screen. When an object touches the screen, it interrupts the infrared beams, allowing the system to detect the touch point.
   This touchscreen is not affected by current, voltage, or static electricity, making it suitable for harsh environments. They are cost-effective, simple to set up, and do not need cards or controllers for operation.

FAQs

When did touchscreen phones become the norm?

Touchscreen phones replaced the traditional button phone in the late 2000s and early 2010s. The release of the iPhone in 2007 was one of the turning points in touch display technology.

The iPhone introduced a smooth touchscreen and intuitive interface for its users and became popular quickly. Other phone manufacturers followed the iPhone’s success and shifted their focus to touchscreen devices.

After that touchscreen phones started to grab the phone market gradually.

Who is the father of touch screen?

Eric Arthur Johnson is considered the “father of the touchscreen”. In 1965 he developed the first finger-driven touchscreen while working at the Royal Radar Establishment in Malvern.

Johnson’s invention was the beginning of the touch screen era, which was significantly advanced by other researchers and engineers.

What is the future of touchscreen technology?

The future of touch screens has many exciting possibilities. The upcoming advanced touchscreen technology will increase durability, responsiveness, and accuracy and introduce haptic feedback, gesture recognition, and AR/VR integration.

It will also introduce foldable and flexible displays and uninterrupted integration with wearable devices like smartwatches and glasses.

What is the new type of screen?

Several new screen types are available in the market such as microLED, Telescopic pixel display (TPD), and Laser phosphor display (LPD).

Samsung, Sony, Apple, Tianma, Plessey Semiconductor Ltd, Inc., PlayNitride, and Ostendo Technologies are involved with the microLED technology.

Prysm was involved with LPD and Microsoft & University of Washington are with TPD.

Which touchscreen technology is best?

The best touchscreen technology depends on their application and desired features. A projected capacitive(P-cap) touchscreen is considered the best for smartphones and tablets while resistive touchscreens are best for industrial applications.

On the other hand infrared touchscreens and surface acoustic wave(SAW)touchscreens are considered the best for large displays.

Conclusion

We are living in the age of touchscreen devices. Touchscreen has made our interactions easier with the digital world. We expect touchscreen technology will be more innovative and user-friendly soon. The ongoing development of touch display technology will make electronic devices and gadgets more enjoyable in the future.

If you enjoyed reading the article on touch display technology and the types of touch screen, stay with us to learn more.