A touching scene
Touch screens have been a geek fetish since Tom Cruise flipped data around with his fingers in Minority Report. A new technology from Portugal’s version of Silicon Valley could bring that keyboard-free vision of computing a step closer to reality
Touch screens have been a geek fetish since Tom Cruise flipped data around with his fingers in Minority Report. A new technology from Portugal's version of Silicon Valley could bring that keyboard-free vision of computing a step closer to reality
Displax, a company that makes interactive technologies, says it’s found a way of turning any surface – flat or curved – into a multi-touch screen. The surface can be made from glass, plastic, wood – any material that doesn’t conduct electricity.
The company, based in Braga in north-western Portugal, has developed a transparent polymer film, thinner than paper, that can be fixed to a surface, making it interactive. Significantly, the film can be applied to standard LCD screens, which means that existing television and computer displays can become touch sensitive.
The technology works by processing multiple input signals received from a grid of nano-wires embedded in the film. Each time a finger is placed on the screen, a small electrical disturbance is caused.
A micro-processor controller analyses this data and decodes the location of each input on that grid to track the movement. The film is so sensitive that users can interact with it not just through touch but by blowing on it. This, says the company, opens up new possibilities for future applications.
The lightweight film can be applied to any surface from 18 centimetres to three metres across the diagonal and can be safely used on outdoor displays. Currently, it can detect 16 fingers on a 50-inch screen, but that is expected to increase as development progresses.
The technology is extremely powerful, precise and versatile, says Miguel Fonseca, chief business officer of Displax.
“Almost everyone who sees it thinks of new applications, from converting LCDs into multi-touch screens, tables into multi-touch tables, to creating interactive information screens in stores, shopping malls or public areas, to developing new exciting gaming environments.”
Displax developed the technology primarily for commercial environments, but it now expects potential customers to come from industries as diverse as telecoms, retail, property, broadcast, pharmaceuticals and finance. The company expects consumer applications to be developed using the new technology as well.
“The technology will open up new opportunities for many market players, technology vendors as well as businesses,” said Fonseca.
