Touchscreen Technology: Where it’s at and Where it’s Headed

Touchscreen technology is found just about everywhere. From smartphones and tablets to smart TVs, refrigerators, washing machines and human machine interfaces (HMIs), the technology now encompasses many everyday products. While touchscreen devices have been around for decades, companies are already looking to push the boundaries on what’s possible. To learn more about the future of touchscreen technology and where it’s headed, keep reading.

Flexible Touchscreens

One trend that you can expect to see more of in the touchscreen industry is the use of flexible materials. Traditionally, touchscreen devices have featured a hard surface. However, companies and researchers are busy working on flexible touchscreens that go beyond this traditional configuration. A flexible touchscreen device would allow users to bend and fold the screen, making it easier to transport.

Acoustic Pulse Recognition

While most modern touchscreen devices use either resistive or capacitive touch-sensing technology, some are now being designed with acoustic pulse recognition to sense touches. Acoustic pulse recognition is an alternative touch-sensing technology that involves the use of acoustic waves. These invisible acoustic waves bound back and forth across the surface of the device. When the user touches the interface, it creates a disturbance in the acoustic pulse, which the device uses to determine where exactly the user touched.

In-Car Touchscreen Systems

Granted, many modern-day cars, trucks and automobiles already feature touchscreen “infotainment” systems. However, this trend will likely continue to grow in the years to come. Touchscreen systems such as these open the doors to a whole new world of possibilities for drivers and passengers. Among other things, they allow users to find turn-by-turn directions to their destination; change the heating/air; play music; connect their smartphone via Bluetooth; and more.

Multi-Touch

Another trend that’s becoming more and more popular in the touchscreen industry is the use of multi-touch sensing. We’ve talked about this before, but it’s worth mentioning again that multi-touch refers to a type of touch-sensing technology in which two or more points of simultaneous contact are registered as a command.

These are just a few of the touchscreen trends that you can expect to see more of.