Touchscreens have revolutionized the way in which we control electronic devices. With their ability to support touch commands using a finger or stylus, we are no longer forced to use conventional peripherals like a keyboard and mouse. Even if you’re familiar with the basic concept of touchscreens, though, you might be surprised to learn the following facts about them.
#1) They’ve Been Around Since the 1970s
While touchscreens didn’t become popular until the turn of the 21st century, they’ve actually been around since the 1970s. The world’s first touchscreen, for example, was invented by CERN engineers Frank Beck and Bent Stumpe in the early 1970s.
#2) Multi-Touch Technology Was Invented in the 1980s
Most modern smartphones, as well as other touchscreen devices, now support multi-touch command. Multi-touch technology isn’t a new concept. It was developed just a decade after the world’s first touchscreen was invented. In 1982, researchers at the University of Toronto created a touchscreen that was able to recognize multiple simultaneous points of contact, thus paving the way for multi-touch commands in modern touchscreen devices.
#3) Resistive Touchscreens Are Used Extensively in Restaurants
While capacitive touchscreens are the most popular choice for consumer applications, including smartphones and tablets, resistive touchscreens have become the preferred choice for restaurants. This is because resistive touchscreens offer a higher level of resistance to moisture and contaminants, allowing them to withstand the otherwise harsh environment of a typical restaurant.
#4) Capacitive Touchscreens Require the Use of a Bare Finger
You can’t control a capacitive touchscreen with a gloved finger or stylus. Rather, you must use a bare finger to perform touch commands on a capacitive touchscreen. With a bare finger or stylus, the voltage applied to the display interface won’t change. And without any change of voltage, the capacitive touchscreen won’t register your touch command.
#5) Projected Capacitive Touchscreens Are More Accurate Than Surface Capacitive
There are several different types of capacitive touchscreens, two of which include projected capacitive and surface capacitive. Of those two, however, projected capacitive touchscreens are more accurate than their surface capacitive counterpart. They use AI-powered sensing, as well as a matrix of rows and columns, to detect touch commands with greater precision.
#6) Two-Thumb Tapping Is the Most Common Way for Typing
When typing on a touchscreen device, most people prefer the two-thumb tapping method. As the name suggests, this involves tapping the device’s virtual keys using both your left and right thumb.
