THE RECENT ADVANCEMENT AND APPLICATIONS IN TOUCH SCREEN TECHNOLOGY BY ONYEWUCHI CHIDINMA AMARACHI 12/SMS02/077.

 A touchscreen is an electronic visual display that the user can control through simple or multi-touch gestures by touching the screen with a special stylus/pen and-or one or more fingers. Some touchscreens use an ordinary or specially coated gloves to work while others use a special stylus/pen only. The user can use the touchscreen to react to what is displayed and to control how it is displayed (for example by zooming the text size).  The touchscreen enables the user to interact directly with what is displayed, rather than using a mouse,touch phones or any other intermediate device (other than a stylus, which is optional for most modern touchscreens).  Touchscreens are common in devices such as game consoles, personal computers tablet computers and smartphones. They can also be attached to computers or, as terminals, to networks. They also play a prominent role in the design of digital appliances such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) satellite navigation devices, mobile phones and video games and some books (Electronic books).  The popularity of smartphones, tablets, and many types of information appliances is driving the demand and acceptance of common touchscreens for portable and functional electronics. Touchscreens are found in the medical field and in heavy industry as well as for automated teller machines(ATMs), and kiosks such as museum displays or room automation where keyboard and mouse systems do not allow a suitably intuitive, rapid, or accurate interaction by the user with the display's content.

IMAGES OF TOUCH SCREEN.

HISTORY OF TOUCH- SCREEN TECHNOLOGY. According to PC magazines a touch screen is, a display screen that is sensitive to the touch of a finger or stylus. Widely used ATM machines retail point-of-sale terminals monitors and industrial control panels, the touch screen became wildly popular on handhelds after Apple introduced the iphone in The touch screen is one of the easiest to use and most intuitive of all computers interfaces, touch screen allows users to navigate a computer system by touching icons or link on the screen.

Before we move into the realms of “Through-Glass Touch” we must understand the roots of the technology we are embracing so strongly. Touch screen technology to some may appear to be technology of the future but you may be surprised to learn that touch screens. Were being discussed in the 1960s and first versions came to life in the 1970s This timeline breaks down significant milestones in the development of touch technology: touch screens It is widely considered that E. A. Johnson of the Royal Radar Establishment, UK, was the creator of the first capacitive touch screen. He published a short article in 1965 before following with a descriptive, full-length article including diagrams and photos in 1967, describing his work with capacitive touch technology  Doctor Sam Hurst, University of Kentucky and founder of Elographics, developed the first “touch sensor” during his time at university. The sensor was dubbed the “Elograph” and was not transparent (as you would expect modern screens to be).

1974  The first true resistive touch screen boasting a transparent surface was developed by Sam Hurst and Elographics  Elographics, after a few years of continual development of the resistive technology, patented the invention and it still remains the most popular touch screen technology in use today  Hewlett Packard introduced the first home computer with integrated touch technology, the HP-150. This commercially available system used infra-red technology where a grid of beams covering the front of the monitor detected finger movements.

1993 Apple’s stepped into handheld products with their Newton PDA equipped handwriting recognition, which was widely accepted that it was ahead of its time  IBM introduced the world to the smartphone, called Simon, boasting the ability to input telephone numbers using a touch-screen  The PDA market expanded and Palm entered the stage with their Pilot touch screen product range  Microsoft could see the potential in the handheld “tablet” devices and so launched Windows XP Tablet edition. This technology didn’t really gain momentum as the hardware so expensively priced.

2007  Apple’s iPhone is hugely responsible for the shake-up of touchscreen technology. The iPhone was introduced to the world and it left many manufacturers playing catch-up as not only did Apple’s device have a slick user interface they were able to couple this with their App Store. This has transformed the way people engage with technology and has stimulated the advancement of touch technology  Apple released the iPad, their flagship “tablet” product and although it was shipped without a camera and was lacking in multi- tasking ability they still sold over 1 million units and each generation of iPad reveals continuous improvement and development.  With the commercialisation of touch technology, now, in 2012, it is difficult to step out of the house and not come into contact with touchscreens. They are in use seemingly everywhere and people are becoming more creative with how to apply the technology. The technology is very popular in retail, medical, educational and heavy industries and “touch” is still gaining momentum.commercialisation of touch technology

THE RECENT ADVANCEMENT AND APPLICATION IN TOUCH SCREEN TECHNOLOGY. As technology advances, touchscreen devices are becoming ever more prevalent in our day-to-day lives. Chances are, you’ve used a touchscreen phone, tablet or other device recently – and you might even own a few such devices yourself. These small- scale screens are familiar and popular, but what about their large-scale counterparts? Touchscreen technology got their start in retail settings, simplifying the lives of servers and cashiers everywhere. From inputting a food order to checking out at the grocery store, touchscreens have been making work easier for customer service workers everywhere for years. Now, the technology is finally cost effective for home use too.

 Touchscreen technology are also incredibly easy to use, thanks to their literal hands-on method of operation. User interfaces and navigation on touchscreen devices are simply more intuitive; rather than clicking and dragging with a mouse, you can simply click, flick, pinch, rotate, zoom or scroll by touching a multidirectional touchscreen. Instead of a list of photo files, you might look at the actual photos themselves spread across a screen, similar to the way you would sort through a pile of photos on a desk in front of you. Overall, navigating a touchscreen device is generally more efficient.  Touchscreen technology also increase the efficiency of your space because you don’t have a mouse and keyboard taking up prime desktop real estate. Of course, some touchscreen users may still prefer to use a physical keyboard in addition to the on-screen touch keyboard, but the need for a mouse is virtually eliminated by a touchscreen monitor.

 Already, there are a number of applications specifically tailored for touchscreen technology. Microsoft has a collection of applications called the Touch Pack for Windows 7. It includes games, maps, photo software and even an interactive screensaver. As touchscreen monitors become increasingly ubiquitous, software and app developers will continue to increase the production of software optimized for touchscreens.  Touchscreen technology are a practical and convenient option for home computer use for many reasons. From efficiency and sanitation to ease of use and compatibility, touchscreen monitors will only continue to become more popular in both the customer service industry and among personal users.

The development of smartphones and consumer tablets like the iPad, Motorola XOOM, Samsung Galaxy tablet among others have driven touchscreens into the mainstream. But does that translate into touchscreens being useful in healthcare?. The growth of touchscreen use in the consumer market is driving their use in healthcare in much the same way. Familiarity is creating acceptance. This is especially true in healthcare systems where touchscreen technology is being used in lobbies to provide patients with easy access to information, in radiology where physicians use it to manipulate images, by nurses to adjust settings on ventilators and other medical devices, and of course by physicians using tablets to view electronic health records and patient specific information.

Advantages Of Using Touch screen Technology Improved experience – Touchscreens provide end users an opportunity to interact with the computer, improving the human-computer interface and improving the user’s experience. This may seem like a small thing to many, but this simple idea is one of the reasons that the iPad from Apple has been so successful with users. The device provides a pleasurable experience for the end user secondary to the intuitive touchscreen interface. Easy access – Touchscreens provide an easy to understand, intuitive interface for the human brain. Touch is a natural way for us to interact with the world around us and pointing at something with our finger is as natural as breathing air.

Saves time – Fumbling with a mouse and keyboard isn’t always the easiest thing to do and touchscreen technology can help. I sometimes use my finger to navigate the touchscreen on my laptop instead of a mouse. I find that using my finger often works better than a mouse to reposition my cursor, access an open application or scroll through a web page. It’s not a big thing, but it improves my experience and makes things easier to access. Sanitary – Often overlook, but never out of the mind of healthcare providers, is the unsanitary conditions created by a mouse and a keyboard. They’re a great place to harbor germs collected on the hands of everyone that’s touches them. Washing one’s hands before and after using them is a successful strategy for fighting the spread of germs, but this simple solution isn’t always utilized to its logical end. On the other hand, touchscreens can be easily cleaned as part of a routine schedule.

 Potential to save money – Full touchscreen technology requires no keyboard or mouse, which both cost money and have to be replaced. Of course this only makes sense if the touchscreen technology does not exceed the cost of a typical monitor. We’re not there yet, but we’re headed in the right direction.  With that said, not all touchscreens are created equal. Let’s have a quick look at the different types of touchscreens in use today. Resistive touchscreens – Resistive touchscreens are made from glass coated with metal sheets that provide conductivity. Current passes between the layers, and when someone touches the display and pushes the layers together the change in current allows the computer to calculate the location on the screen. In general resistive screens tend to be the most stylus-friendly type of touchscreen. Some manufacturers have made resistive screens that are more finger- friendly, but for the most part they work best with a stylus.

 Capacitive touchscreens – Composed of an indium tin oxide sheet that retains electrical charge, capacitive touchscreens offer easy finger driven navigation and multi-touch capability. The Indium tin oxide provides a continuous current across the screen. When an end user touches the screen their finger absorbs some of the electrical charge, giving the computer something to work with to calculate the location on the screen.  People love capacitive touchscreens because they’re easy to use, provide multi-touch functionality and transmit 90% of the light from the screen making them easier to use in direct sunlight. Most of the newer smartphones and tablets, i.e. iPad, XOOM, Galaxy, use capacitive touchscreens. The downside is you can’t use your fingernail or a stylus on the screen and they’re typically more expensive.  Surface wave – Surface wave technology uses ultrasonic waves to determine touch inputs. Waves flow invisibly from the edge of the display and over the surface of the touchscreen. Touch from a user’s finger absorbs the ultrasonic wave and allows the computer to determine the location of the touch. Surface wave touchscreens are superior to both capacitive and resistive touchscreens in image clarity, resolution, light transmission and accuracy. But they can’t be completely sealed, making them useful in only less harsh environments.

In conclusion touch screen technology, There are many benefits in selecting a display with touch screen technology. Touch technology provides a fast and intuitive interface for users and simplify customer interactions. Users do not have to know how to use a computer and can simply touch the display to make selections. No keyboard is required, saving valuable space. touch screen displays enhance customer experience when used in demanding point-of-sale, point-of- purchase and high traffic public access environments. Enabling a venue to instantly become state-of-the-art, the use of Planar touch screen displays change the experience of a customer, enabling them to seek information or perform on-site transactions. To enhance any public space, retail environment or hospitality venue, Planar touch screen displays come in a variety of sizes, performance options and configurations.