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Seminar
On
Touch Screen
Technology
Submitted To: Submitted By:
www.studymafia.org www.studymafia.org
Content
 What are Touch Screens?
 History and Development
 Why use Touch Screen
 Elements of a Touchscreen System
 Touch Screen Technologies
 Application of Touch Screens 
 Advantages
 Disadvantages
 Conclusion
What are Touch Screens?
 It is the most user friendly input device used
to interface with a PC.
 The user touches the screen to select options
presented on it, where associated hardware
and software locate that touch.
History and Development
 In 1971 Dr. Sam Hurst, founder of Elographics
developed the first touch opaque sensor
“Elograph” at the University of Kentucky.
 In 1974 He developed the first real touch
screen.
 In 1977, Elographics developed the five-wire
resistive technology then with the backing of
Siemens Corporation, developed a curved
glass sensor called the touch screen.
 The new transparent technology, AccuTouch,
was later developed by the founders of
Elographics, Dr. Hurst and Bill Colwell.
Why use Touch Screens?
 Enable first-time users to interface with
computers instantly, without any training.
 Eliminate operator errors because users make
selections from clearly defined menus.
 Eliminate keyboards and mice, which many
novice users find difficult to use.
 Rugged enough to stand up to harsh
conditions where keyboards and mice can be
damaged.
 Provide fast access to all types of digital
content.
 Ensure that no space is wasted since the input
device is completely integrated into the
monitor.
How does a Touch screen Work?
Main touch screen components:
 Touch sensor
 Controller
 Software driver
Touch sensor
 A touch screen sensor is a clear glass panel
with a touch responsive surface which is
placed over a display screen so that the
responsive area of the panel covers the
viewable area of the display screen.

 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
 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.
Software Driver
 The driver is a software that allows the touch
screen and computer to work together. It tells
the 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.
 Touch Screen Technologies
Resistive
Capacitive
Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW)
Infrared LED or Optical
 Resistive Touch Screens

 Made of a glass panel with a coating of uniform resistivity

on which a voltage is applied. A polyester cover sheet is
tightly suspended over the top of the glass, separated from
it by small, transparent insulating dots.
 The cover sheet has a hard, durable coating on the outer
side and a conductive coating on the inner side.
 With a light touch, the conductive coating makes
electrical contact with the coating on the glass.
  The voltages at the point ofcontact are the analog
representation of the position touched. The
controller digitizes these voltages and transmits
them to the computer for processing.
Advantages of Resistive
High Resolution and Accuracy
Fast Response
Pressure-activated by finger or gloved hand with a very
light touch
Durable hard-coat front surface can be nonglare treated
for     reflection control or polished for maximum clarity
Touchscreens and controllers are safety agency-
approved components,so certification of your system is
easier
Disadvantages of Resistive
80 % Clarity
Resistive layers can be damaged by a sharp object
 Capacitive Touch screen
There are 2 types of capacitive touch screens:

Surface capacitive
-consists of a uniform conductive coating on a glass
panel on which a low voltage is evenly applied fromthe
corners.
-The touch location is measured from the ratio of the
current flow from the corners
Advantages:
Durable surface material
High endurance (~255 million touches)
Very accurate
Good optical quality
Disadvantages:
Triggered only by bare finger or active
stylus
 Surface Acoustic Wave Touch
screen

 Made of a glass overlay with transmitting and

receiving piezoelectric transducers for both
the X and Y axes.
 When a touch occurs, the wave is absorbed
shortening the echo time it takes to reach the
receivers.
Advantages of Surface Acoustic Wave
Excellent Image Clarity -Very High LightTransmission
Excellent Durability -Stable "No-Drift" Operation
High Resolution - Very Light Touch
Fast Touch Response -X,Y and Z-axis Response
Finger or Gloved-Hand Operation

Disadvantages of Surface Acoustic Wave

Must be touched by finger, gloved hand, or soft-tip stylus.
  Something hard like a pen won't work
Not completely sealable, can be affected by large 
amounts of grease, water,  or dirt on the touchscreen
Application of Touch Screens 
 Informational kiosks
 Trade show displays
 Museum / tourism displays
 Point-of-sale terminals
 Restaurant systems
 Employee time clocks
 Industrial process controls
 World Wide Web access kiosks
 Home automation systems
 Casino and other gaming systems
 Computer access for the physically disabled
 Pros & Cons
 Direct pointing to the  Low precision by
objects. using finger
 Fast  User has to sit or
 Finger or pen is usable stand closer to the
(No cable required) screen
 No keyboard  The screen may be
necessary covered more by
 Suited to: novices,
using hand
application for  No direct activation to
information retrieval the selected function
etc
Conclusion
 Touch systems represent a rapidly growing
subset of the display market.
 The majority of touch systems include touch
sensors relying on vacuum-deposited
coatings, so touch coatings present
opportunity for suppliers of vacuum coatings
and coating equipments.
 Touch sensor manufactures currently require
thin films in the areas of transparent
conductors, optical interference coating and
mechanical protective coatings.
 Reference
 www.google.com
 www.wikipedia.com
 www.studymafia.org
Thanks