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ABSTRACT

Introduction:
A touch screen is an electronic visual display that can detect the presence and
location of a touch within the display area. The term generally refers to touch or contact to the
display of the device by a finger or hand. The ability to interact physically with w h a t i s
s h o w n o n a d i s p l a y ( a f o r m o f " d i r e c t m a n i p u l a t i o n " ) t y p i c a l l y i n d i c a t e s t h e presence
of a touch screen.The touch screen has two main attributes.
1. It enables one to interact with what is displayed directly on the screen, where it is displayed,
rather than indirectly with a mouse or touchpad.
2. It lets one do so without requiring any intermediate device, ag ain, such as a stylus that needs
to be held in the hand.

Why touch Screen Technology?

Touch screens enable people to use computers instantly, without any training whatsoever.
Touch screens eliminate keyboards and mice, which many find intimidating and cumbersome to
use. Touch screens provide fast access to any and all typ es of digital media, with no text-bound
interface getting in the way. Touch screens ensure that no space - on the desktop or elsewhere - is
wasted, as the input device is completely integrated in to the monitors.

Conclusion:
Though the Touch screen technology contains some limitations it is user friendly, fast, accurate and
easy to operate. In our presentation, we will touch on the history behind touch screen technology while also
explaining in detail how the different methods of touch screen technologies work. More specifically, we will
spend a considerable amount of time describing the different technologies found in devices that use touch
screen. We will also delve into the current commercial applications and practical benefits of touchscreen.
Finally, we will comment on the future applications and potentials of touch screen technology.
It has been widely accepted and a little modification can replace the mouse and key board completely in near
future.

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Contents

Abstract --------------------------------------------------------------1
Contents-------------------------------------------------------------- 2
Introduction----------------------------------------------------------3
Literature Survey---------------------------------------------------4
Characteristics and Types of Touch Screens------------------5-12
1. Resistive------------------------------------------------------6-10
2. Capacitive----------------------------------------------------10-11
3. Surface Acoustic Wave------------------------------------11
4. Infrared Touch Screen------------------------------------12
Working of Touch Screen Monitors-----------------------------13-14
Comparision of Touch Technologies-----------------------------15-16
Advantages and Disadvantages-----------------------------------16-18
Applications/Uses----------------------------------------------------18-19
The Future of Touch Screen---------------------------------------19
Conclusion and References----------------------------------------20

Listings:
Fig.1.a-------------------------------------------------------------------5
Fig.1.b-------------------------------------------------------------------5
Fig.1.1.a-----------------------------------------------------------------6
Fig.1.1.b-----------------------------------------------------------------7
Fig.1.1.c-----------------------------------------------------------------7
Fig.1.1.d-----------------------------------------------------------------8
Fig.1.3.a-----------------------------------------------------------------9
Fig.2.a-------------------------------------------------------------------11
Fig.3.a-------------------------------------------------------------------11
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Fig.4.a-------------------------------------------------------------------12
Fig.5.a-------------------------------------------------------------------13

INTRODUCTION
A touch screen is computer display screen that is sensitive to human touch, allowing a user to interact
with the computer by touching pictures or words on the screen. Touch screen are used with information kiosks
(an interactive computer terminal available for public use, as one with internet access or site specific
information), computer based training devices, and system designed to help individuals who have difficulty in
manipulating a mouse or keyboard.
Touch screen technology can be used as an alternative user interface with application that normally
requires a mouse, such as a web browser. Some applications are designed specifically for touch screen
technology, often having larger icon and link than typical PC application. Monitors are available with built in
touch screen kit. A touch screen kit includes a touch screen panel, a controller, and a software driver.
The touch screen panels are is a clear panel attached externally to the monitors that plug in to a serial
or a universal serial Bus (USB) port a bus Card installed inside the computer. The touch screen panel registers
touch event and passes these signal to controller. The controller then processes the signals and sends the data
to the processor. The software driver translates the touch events into mouse events. Driver can be provided for
both Window and Macintosh operating systems. Internal touch screen kits are available but require
professional installation because the must be installed inside the monitors.

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LITERATURE SURVEY
Dr. Sam Hurst, founder of Elo-graphics, developed the first touch screen while he was an instructor at
the university of Kentucky in 1971.
Ten stockholders founded Elo-graphics, Inc. in March 1971, to produce Graphical data Digitizers for
use in research and industrial application, with the, principal being Dr. Sam Hurst. He was on leave from the
Oak Ridge National Laboratory to tech at the University of Kentucky for two years, where he was faced with
a need to read a huge stack of strip chart data. It would have taken two graduate student s approximately two
month to do the task. He started to thinking of a way to read the and during the process, the Elo-graph
(Electronic graphics) coordinate measuring system and Elo-graphics the company were born. The University
Kentucky research foundation applied for and was granted a patent on the Elo-graph. The foundation granted
an exclusive license to Elo-graphics.
The touch screen is one of the easiest to use and most intuitive of all PC interface of choices for a wide
variety of applications. A touch interface to allows users to navigate a computer system by touching icon or
links on the screen.
User interface PCs are quickly becoming the control device of choices for the plant floor, machine
control and any application where the user interface is important. This change has not been without its
difficulties. One challenge industrial PC manufacturers have faced is simplifying the human machine interface
while maintaining accuracy of input. Industrial grade touches Screen system have quickly become the input
device of choice for several reasons. Touch systems generally have no additional hardware to mount and
protect, such as a mouse or keyboard. A flat panel display can also be sealed by the factory to prevent damage
from dust and water. The ultra thin nature of a touch screen on a LCD saves critical space, which is a vital for
most application.
Durability is tested to over 35 million finger touches with no over performance degradation.1 milliontouch life max.

Design Flexibility:
Advanced design allows flat and spherical design.
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Touch screen are very intuitive; it is natural for people to respond to their environment by touching. Touch
screen are usually manipulated with ease and require minimal instrumentation training for a user. Best of all,
touch screens draw an operator into the application, improving accuracy attention span and speed of
response. Although the touch screen system for the rigors of everyday life, for rugged environments and the
best solution for your application.

Touch screen Characteristics:

Speed: high

Accuracy: low (finger), high (pen)

Speed control: yes

Continuous movement: yes

Directness: direction, distance, speed

Fatigue: high

Footprint: no

Best uses: point, select

The touch screen can be operated by two ways:

.1. Finger-Operated:

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2. Stylus operated:

Fig.1.b Stylus operated

Types of Touch Screen Technologies:

1. Resistive Touch Screen.
2. Capacitive Touch Screen.
3. Surface Acoustic Wave Touch Screen.
4. Infrared Touch Screen.

1.Resistive:
A resistive touch screen panel is composed of several layers, the most important of which are two thin,
metallic, electrically conductive layers separated by a narrow gap. When an object, such as a finger, presses
down on a point on the panel's outer surface the two metallic layers become connected at that point: the panel
then behaves as a pair of voltage dividers with connected outputs. This causes a change in the electrical
current which is registered as a touch event and sent to the controller for processing.

Fig 1.1.a Resistive type touchscreen

All types of resistive touch screens:

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Resistive touch screens are used in more applications than any other touch technology for example,
PDAs, point-of-sale, industrial, medical, and office automation, as well as consumer electronics. All variations
of resistive touch screens have some things in common:

Fig1.1.b. Resistive type screen

They are all constructed similarly in layers-a back layer such as glass with a uniform resistive coating plus a
polyester coversheet, with the layers separated by tiny insulating dots. When the screen is touched, it pushes
the conductive coating on the coversheet against the coating on the glass, making electrical contact. The
voltages produced are the analog representation of the position touched. An electronic controller converts
these voltages into digital X and Y coordinates which are then transmitted to the host computer. Because
resistive touch screens are force activated, all kinds of touch input devices can activate the screen, including
fingers, fingernails, styluses, gloved hands, and credit cards. All have similar optical properties, resistance to
chemicals and abuse. Both the touch screen and its electronics are simple to integrate into imbedded systems,
thereby providing one of the most practical and cost-effective touch screen solutions.

Fig1.1.c Schematic representation of resistive type screen

1.1 Four-Wire Resistive:

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Four-wire resistive technology is the simplest to understand and manufacture. It uses both the upper and lower
layers in the touch screen "sandwich" to determine the X and Y coordinates. Typically constructed with
uniform resistive coatings of indium tin oxide (ITO on the inner sides of the layers and silver buss bars along
the edges, the combination sets up lines of equal potential in both X and Y. In the illustration below, the
controller first applies 5V to the back layer. Upon touch, it probes the analog voltage with the coversheet,
reading 2.5V, which represents a left-right position or X axis. It then flips the process, applying 5V to the
coversheet, and probes from the back layer to calculate an up-down position or Y axis. At any time, only three
of the four wires are in use (5V, ground, probe).

Fig.1.1.d Four wire resistive type screen

The primary drawback of four-wire technology is that one coordinate axis (usually the Y axis), uses the outer
layer, the flexible coversheet, as a uniform voltage gradient. The constant flexing that occurs on the outer
coversheet with use will eventually cause microscopic cracks in the ITO coating, changing its electrical
characteristics (resistance), degrading the linearity and accuracy of this axis. Unsurprisingly, four-wire touch
screens are not known for their durability. Typically, they test only to about 1 million touches with a finger-far
less when activated by a pointed stylus which speeds the degradation process. Some four-wire products even
specify 100,000 activations within a rather large, 20 mm x 20 mm area. In the real world of point-of-sale
applications, a level of 100,000 activations with hard, pointed styluses (including fingernails, credit cards,
ballpoint pens, etc.) is considered normal usage in just a few months' time. Also, accuracy can drift with
environmental changes. The polyester coversheet expands and contracts with temperature and humidity
changes, thereby causing long-term degradation to the coatings as well as drift in the touch location. While all
of these drawbacks can be insignificant in smaller sizes, they become increasingly apparent the larger the
touch screen. Therefore, Elo normally recommends four-wire touch screens in applications with a display size
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of 6.4" or smaller. However, the relative low cost, inherent low power consumption, and common availability
of chipset controllers with support from imbedded operating systems, makes four-wire touch screens ideal for
hand-held devices such as PDAs, wearable computers, and many consumer devices.

1.2

Eight-Wire Variation:

Eight-wire resistive touch screens are a variation of four-wire construction. The primary difference is the
addition of four sensing points, which are used to stabilize the system and reduce the drift caused by
environmental changes. Eight-wire systems are usually seen in sizes of 10.4" or larger where the drift can be
significant. As in four-wire technology, the major drawback is that one coordinate axis uses the outer, flexible
coversheet as a uniform voltage gradient, while the inner or bottom layer acts as the voltage probe. The
constant flexing that occurs on the outer coversheet will change its resistance with usage, degrading the
linearity and accuracy of this axis. Although the added four sensing points helps stabilize the system against
drift, they do not improve the durability or life expectancy of the screen.

1.3

Five-Wire Resistive:

Fig.1.3.a Eight wire resistive type screen

As we have seen, four- and eight-wire touch screens, while having a simple and elegant design, have a major
drawback in terms of durability in that the flexing coversheet is used to determine one of the axes. Field usage
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proves that the other axis rarely fails. Could it be possible to construct a touch screen where all the position
sensing was on the stable glass layer? Then the coversheet would serve only as a voltage probe for X and Y.
Microscopic cracks in the coversheet coating might still occur, but they would no longer cause non-linearitys.
The simple buss bar design is not sufficient and a more complex linearization pattern on the edges is required.
In the five-wire design, one wire goes to the coversheet (E) which serves as the voltage probe for X and Y.
Four wires go to corners of the back glass layer (A, B, C, and D). The controller first applies 5V to corners A
and B and grounds C and D, causing voltage to flow uniformly across the screen from the top to the bottom.
Upon touch, it reads the Y voltage from the coversheet at E. Then the controller applies 5V to corners A and C
and grounds B and D, and reads the X voltage from E again. So, a five-wire touch screen uses the stable
bottom layer for both X- and Y-axis measurements. The flexible coversheet acts only as a voltage-measuring
probe. This means the touch screen continues working properly even with non-uniformity in the coversheet's
conductive coating. The result is an accurate, durable and more reliable touch screen over four- and eight-wire
designs.

1.4

Six- and Seven-Wire Variations:

There are some manufacturers who claim improved performance over five-wire resistive with additional
wires. The six-wire variation adds an extra ground layer to the back of the glass. It is not needed for improved
performance, and in some cases is not even connected to the companion controller. The seven-wire variation
adds two sense lines, like with the eight-wire design, to decrease drift due to environmental changes. The
proprietary "Z border" electrode pattern is a better solution to prevent drift.

2. Capacitive:
A capacitive touch-screen panel is a sensor typically made of glass coated with a material such as indium tin
oxide (ITO). The sensor therefore exhibits a precisely controlled field of stored electrons in both the
horizontal and vertical axes - it achieves capacitance. The human body is also an electrical device which has
stored electrons and therefore also exhibits capacitance. Capacitive sensors work based on proximity, and do
not have to be directly touched to be triggered. It is a durable technology that is used in a wide range of
applications including point-of-sale systems, industrial controls, and public information kiosks. It has a higher
clarity than Resistive technology, but it only responds to finger contact and will not work with a gloved hand
or pen stylus. Capacitive touch screens can also support Multi-touch. Examples include Apple Inc.s iPhone
and iPod touch, and HTCs G1 & HTC Magic.

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Two types are available: Capacitive technology & Pen-touch Capacitive.

Fig.2.a Capacitive technology & Pen-touch Capacitive

3. Surface Acoustic Wave :

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology uses ultrasonic waves that pass over the touch-screen
panel. When the panel is touched, a portion of the wave is absorbed. This change in the ultrasonic waves
registers the position of the touch event and sends this information to the controller for processing the
location. Surface wave touch screen panels can be damaged by outside elements. Contaminants on the surface
can also interfere with the functionality of the touch screen.

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Fig.3.a Surface Acoustic Wave technology

4. Infrared touch screen:

Conventional optical-touch systems use an array of infrared (IR) light-emitting diodes (LEDs) on
two adjacent bezel edges of a display, with photo sensors placed on the two opposite bezel edges to analyze
the system and determine a touch event.
The LED and photo sensor pairs create a grid of light beams across the display. An object (such as a finger or
pen) that touches the screen interrupts the light beams, causing a measured decrease in light at the
corresponding photo sensors.
The measured photo sensor outputs can be used to locate a touch-point coordinate. Widespread adoption of
infrared touch screens has been hampered by two factors: the relatively high cost of the technology compared
to competing touch technologies and the issue of performance in bright ambient light.
Another feature of infrared touch which has been long desired is the digital nature of the sensor output when
compared to many other touch systems that rely on analog-signal processing to determine a touch position.
Infrared touch is capable of implementing multi-touch, something most other touch technologies cannot easily
achieve.

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Fig.4.a Infrared touchscreen

Working of TouchScreen Monitors:

A basic touch screen has three main components: a touch sensor, a controller, and a software driver. The touch
screen is an input device, so it needs to be combined with a display and a PC or other device to make a
complete touch input system.

Fig.5.a Working of touchscreen monitors

1. Touch Sensor:
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A touch screen sensor is a clear glass panel with a touch responsive surface. The touch sensor/panel is placed
over a display screen so that the responsive area of the panel covers the viewable area of the video screen.
There are several different touch sensor technologies on the market today, each using a different method to
detect touch input. The sensor generally has an electrical current or signal going through it and touching the
screen causes a voltage or signal change. This voltage change is used to determine the location of the touch to
the screen.

2. Controller:
The controller is a small PC card that connects between the touch sensor and the PC. It takes information from
the touch sensor and translates it into information that PC can understand. The controller is usually installed
inside the monitor for integrated monitors or it is housed in a plastic case for external touch add-ons/overlays.
The controller determines what type of interface/connection you will need on the PC. Integrated touch
monitors will have an extra cable connection on the back for the touch screen. Controllers are available that
can connect to a Serial/COM port (PC) or to a USB port (PC or Macintosh). Specialized controllers are also
available that work with DVD players and other devices.

3. Software Driver:
The driver is a software update for the PC system that allows the touch screen and computer to work together.
It tells the computer's operating system how to interpret the touch event information that is sent from the
controller. Most touch screen drivers today are a mouse-emulation type driver. This makes touching the screen
the same as clicking your mouse at the same location on the screen. This allows the touch screen to work with
existing software and allows new applications to be developed without the need for touch screen specific
programming. Some equipment such as thin client terminals, DVD players, and specialized computer systems
either do not use software drivers or they have their own built-in touch screen driver.

About Touch Screen Displays:

Touch screen displays are the most user-friendly PC interface. They are input devices, a way to communicate
with the PC. The user touches the screen to select options presented on the screen. Associated hardware and
software are used to determine the location of the press. Touch screen displays can be either internally
mounted, or externally mounted on an existing screen. An internally mounted screen is a touch screen input
device that is designed to be installed on the inside of a PC monitor. It is commonly a touch sensitive glass
panel that uses a touch screen controller and a software driver to interface with a PC system. The internal
touch screen requires a sometimes-technical installation, as the monitor needs to be opened and in some cases
the touch screen controller needs to be wired to a power source inside the monitor. An external touch screen
panel is a touch screen input device that is designed to mount on the outside of a PC monitor. The external
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touch screen does not require any difficult installation or opening of the monitor. It is commonly a touch
sensitive glass panel that uses an external touch screen controller and a software driver to interface with a PC
system. There are five basic types of touch screen displays: resistive, capacitive, infrared, surface acoustic
wave (SAW) and strain gauge. Resistive and capacitive touch screen displays are the most common. Resistive
touch screens consist of a glass or acrylic panel that is coated with electrically conductive and resistive layers.
The thin layers are separated by invisible separator dots. During operation, an electrical current moves through
the screen. When pressure is applied to the touch screen, the layers are pressed together, causing a change in
the electrical current and a touch event to be registered. A capacitive touch screen consists of a glass panel
with a capacitive (charge storing) material coating its surface. Circuits located at corners of the screen
measure the capacitance of a person touching the overlay. Frequency changes are measured to determine the X
and Y coordinates of the touch event.
Infrared touch screens are similar to resistive products. Infrared touch screens project horizontal and vertical
beams of infrared light over the surface of the screen. When a finger or other object breaks those beams, the
X/Y coordinates are calculated. Surface acoustic wave (SAW) technology sends acoustic waves across a clear
glass panel with a series of transducers and reflectors. When a finger touches the screen, the waves are
absorbed, causing a touch event to be detected at that point. In a strain gauge touch screen, the screen is spring
mounted on the four corners and strain gauges are used to determine deflection when the screen is touched.
This touch screen display technology can also measure the Z-axis.

Comparing Touch Technologies:

Each type of screen has unique characteristics that can make it a better choice for certain applications.
The

most

widely

used

touchscreen

technologies

are

the

following:

4-WireResistiveTouchscreens:
4-Wire Resistive touch technology consists of a glass or acrylic panel that is coated with electrically
conductive and resistive layers. The thin layers are separated by invisible separator dots. When operating, an
electrical current moves through the screen. When pressure is applied to the screen the layers are pressed
together, causing a change in the electrical current and a touch event to be registered.
4-Wire Resistive type touch screens are generally the most affordable.

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Although clarity is less than with other touch screen types, resistive screens are very durable and can be used
in a variety of environments. This type of screen is recommended for individual, home, school, or office use,
or less demanding point-of-sale systems, restaurant systems, etc

Advantages&Disadvantages:
High touch resolution
Pressure sensitive, works with any stylus
Not affected by dirt, dust, water, or light
Affordable touchscreen technology 75 % clarity
Resistive layers can be damaged by a sharp object
Less durable then 5-Wire Resistive technology

Touch screen Specifications:

Touch Type: 4-WireResistiveScreen Sizes: 12"-20" Diagonal
Cable Interface: PC Serial/COM Port or USB Port
Touch Resolution: 1024 x 1024
Response Time: 10ms Maximum
Positional Accuracy: 3mm maximum error
Light Transmission: 80% nominal
Life Expectancy: 3 million touches at one point
Temperature: Operating: -10C to 70C
Storage: -30C to 85C
Humidity: Pass 40 degrees C, 95% RH for 96 hours
Chemical
Resistance:
Alcohol,
acetone,
grease,
and
general
Software Drivers: Windows XP/2000/NT/ME/98/95, Linux, Macintosh OS.

household

detergent

5-Wire Resistive Touch screens:

5-Wire Resistive touch technology consists of a glass or acrylic panel that is coated with electrically
conductive and resistive layers. The thin layers are separated by invisible separator dots. When operating, an
electrical current moves through the screen. When pressure is applied to the screen the layers are pressed
together, causing a change in the electrical current and a touch event to be registered.
5-Wire Resistive type touch screens are generally more durable than the similiar 4-Wire Resistive type.
Although clarity is less than with other touch screen types, resistive screens are very durable and can be used
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in a variety of environments. This type of screen is recommended for demanding point-of-sale systems,
restaurant systems, industrial controls, and other workplace applications.

Advantages &Disadvantages

High touch resolution

Pressure sensitive, works with any stylus
Not affected by dirt, dust, water, or light
More durable then 4-Wire Resistive technology
75 % clarity
Resistive layers can be damaged by a sharp object

Advantages and Disadvantages of Touch screens:

The following overview lists advantages and disadvantages of touch screens and summarizes their
characteristics.

Advantages:
1.Direct: Direct pointing to objects, direct relationship between hand and cursor movement (distance, speed
and direction), because the hand is moving on the same surface that the cursor is moving, manipulating
objects on the screen is similar to manipulating them in the manual world
2. Fast: (but less precise without pen).
3. Finger is usable, any pen is usable (usually no cable needed).
4. No keyboard necessary for applications that need menu selections only -> saves desk space.

Disadvantages:
1. Dirt: The screen gets Low precision (finger): Imprecise positioning, possible problems with eye parallaxis
(with pen, too), the finger may be too large for accurate pointing with small objects -> a pen is more accurate.
2. Hand movements (if used with keyboard): Requires that users move the hand away from the keyboard; a
stylus requires also hand movements to take up the pen.
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3. Fatigue: Straining the arm muscles under heavy use (especially if the screen is placed vertically).
4. Sitting /Standing position: The user has to sit/stand close to the screen.
5. Screen coverage: The user's hand, the finger or the pen may obscure parts of the screen.
6. Activation: Usually direct activation of the selected function, when the screen is touched; there is no
special "activation" button as with a light pen or a mouse.

Uses for Touch screens:

Best Suited to Applications Where...

Opportunity for training is low.

Frequency of use is low.

Accurate positioning is not required.

Little or no text or numerical input is required Desk space is at a premium.

The environment may be chemically or otherwise "aggressive".

Not Suited to Applications Where...

Requiring training/trained users.

With high-frequency use.

Requiring accuracy.

Requiring a lot of typing.

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Applications/Uses of touch screen in regular life:

The touch screen is one of the easiest PC interfaces to use, making it the interface of choice for a wide variety
of applications. Here are a few examples of how touch input systems are being used today:
PublicInformationDisplays:
Information kiosks, tourism displays, trade show displays, and other electronic displays are used by many
people that have little or no computing experience. The user-friendly touch screen interface can be less
intimidating and easier to use than other input devices, especially for novice users. A touch screen can help
make your information more easily accessible by allowing users to navigate your presentation by simply
touching the display screen.
RetailandRestaurantSystems:
Time is money, especially in a fast paced retail or restaurant environment. Touch screen systems are easy to
use so employees can get work done faster, and training time can be reduced for new employees. And because
input is done right on the screen, valuable counter space can be saved. Touch screens can be used in cash
registers, order entry stations, seating and reservation systems, and more.
Customerself-services:
In today's fast pace world, waiting in line is one of the things that has yet to speed up. Self-service touch
screen terminals can be used to improve customer service at busy stores, fast service restaurants,
transportation hubs,

and more. Customers can quickly place their own orders or check themselves in or out,

saving them time, and decreasing wait times for other customers. Automated bank teller (ATM) and airline eticket terminals are examples of self-service stations that can benefit from touch screen input.
ControlandAutomationSystems:
The touch screen interface is useful in systems ranging from industrial process control to home automation.
By integrating the input device with the display,valuable workspace can be saved. And with a graphical
interface, operators can monitor and control complex operations in real-time by simply touching the screen.
ComputerBasedTraining:
Because the touch screen interface is user-friendlier than other input devices, overall training time for
computer novices, and therefore training expense, can be reduced. It can also help to make learning more fun
and interactive, which can lead to a more beneficial training experience for both students and educators.
Assistive Technology:
The touch screen interface can be beneficial to those that have difficulty using other input devices such as a
mouse or keyboards. When used in conjunction with software such as on-screen keyboards, or other assistive

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technology, they can help make computing resources more available to people that have difficulty using
computers.
Andmanymoreuses...
The touch screen interface is being used in a wide variety of applications to improve human-computer
interaction.Other applications include digital jukeboxes, computerized gaming, Student registration systems,
multimedia software, financial And scientific applications, and more.

THE FUTURE OF TOUCH:

For now, the latest developments in touch screen technology include what is considered as an interactive
touch screenit is perceived that the screen shapes itself allowing a user to click a button. A.Peshkin and J.
Edward Colgate, professors at North western University, are at the forefront of this innovation. The Tactile
Pattern Display, TPaD, has a small devise, piezoelectric ceramic disc that vibrates the outer most layer of
glass. The vibrations through the glass create a small layer of air between the users finger and the screen
itself. This changes the coefficient of friction between the finger and screen making it appear that the glass
itself has changed. Peshkin and Colgate explain that, the entire plate vibrates, so the amount of friction is the
same all over the TPaDs surface at any given time. But because the oscillations are modulated as your
fingers position changes, the device fools you into thinking that there are varying amounts of friction at
different locations. The prototype uses optical sensors to keep track of your fingers position. The friction
reduction can be switched on and off so quickly (within about 4 milliseconds on average) that the pitch of
virtual bumps or dips can be made far finer than what a fingertip can discern.
The TPAD is still in the prototype phase of development; however, it is a step forward with human interaction
with technology. How far and how fast touch screen technology develops is only limited to the funding and
resources available. Expect to be interacting with your devices more and more as advances are made in
technology.

Conclusion:
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Touch screen can be considered as the future on which all new gadgets shall bank on. We are already in
the era that has seen many ground breaking technologies emerge and touch screen is one amongst them which
has changed the way users interact with their gadgets to a whole new level. Its needless to say that the further
improvement in this technology is inevitable and this can change the way we think what input-output devices
are. Our world today has already started to see the emergence of visual screen that are flexible, can be worn
on wrist like a wrist watch ,gadgets with gait recognition all thanks to ground breaking technology of touch
screens that set the ball rolling. Touch screen technology will increase in significance as an I/O technique for
user oriented embedded systems. Vendors have been steadily reducing or eliminating the weaknesses in touch
sensors as well as adding new capabilities. This combination of steady improvement punctuated by innovation
will continue to broaden the range of applications that touch screens can serve.
With these improvements, touch screen technology has become a viable user interface for many
embeddedSystems .The inclusion of electronic ink services in Windows 9x indicates that touch screens will
become adominant interface. You need only to carefully match the technology to the application environment.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/2-21-2005-66062.asp
http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/jun2005/engpdf/touch_screen_system.pdf
http://orissa.gov.in/e-magazine/Orissareview/jun2005/engpdf/touch_screen_system.pdf

BITS-KNL

21

Department of ECE

uch Screen Technology

BITS-KNL

22

Department of ECE

To