Touch Screens

Touch screens

It's hard to imagine our lives without them. You are also very likely to come into contact with them on a daily basis. Both privately and at work, they make our activities much easier. But how does a touch screen actually work and what role do touch screens play in the field of media control? Here you can find the most important information about touch screens at a glance.

What does touch screen mean?

Touch screen is an English term. The individual components can be translated into German as „Berührung“ and „Bildschirm“ übersetzen. The term is therefore almost self-explanatory in relation to the use of a touch screen. All screens can be controlled by touch. Typical examples include smartphones, tablets and laptops. In addition, cars, checkouts in supermarkets, ticket machines and the like are also increasingly equipped with touch screens.

How does touch screen technology work?

As the name suggests, all touchscreens have a touch-sensitive surface. A so-called controller measures the signals on the surface and forwards them to the operating system of the touch screen. The operating system in turn converts finger movements into the movements of a computer mouse. These are then transferred to the corresponding screen. Depending on the device, different physical principles are applied.

Different types of touch screens

There are four different types of touch screen technologies. Resistive touchscreens are the best known. They are primarily operated by applying pressure and generally consume very little energy. Resistive touchscreens are relatively inexpensive, but have a poorer image quality than other touchscreen technologies.

Surface Capactive touch screens are powered by electricity. Touching them with a finger triggers the change in an electrostatic field. Together with so-called projected capacitive touch screens, they are among the capacitive touch screens that are generally used in smartphones. Both provide a sharper image than resistive touch screens.

There are also infrared touch screens, which, as the name suggests, consist of infrared rays. However, their use can be restricted by certain lighting conditions.

Special features of touch screen technology

Depending on the device, different touches on the screen surface can lead to different results. This includes, for example, touching with more than one finger. It is often possible to zoom in on a smartphone or tablet with two fingers, for example. Other devices only allow operation with one finger.

Further developments in touch screen technology

Most touch screens can only be operated with a bare finger. However, you have certainly tried operating your smartphone with gloves or perhaps even own special touch screen gloves.

Human gloves are not recognized by displays because they lack conductivity. A conductive material is therefore used in special touch screen gloves, allowing you to operate your smartphone even in winter without getting cold fingers. In addition, there is already a large selection of touch screen pens. The development of special touch screen aids is still in its infancy and is certainly not yet complete.

Touch screens in the field of media control

The current world of communication places varied demands on your media technology. image, sound and building technology have become significantly more important. We at ComPeri will be happy to advise you on the choice of a suitable control element for your company. As a professional company for conference and media technology, we are your number 1 contact when it comes to media control in the greater Munich area and beyond - whether for your conference room, a restaurant or your home entertainment system. Be inspired by our versatile services and üsee for yourself!