Modern electronic devices are equipped with new features that are designed to facilitate their use. Each feature has its own name. For example, you can find the word "multi-touch" in the technical description of a tablet or phone. What is it?
Meaning of term
First of all, it is worth noting that this is the name of the touch screen. Such a monitor responds to light finger pressure and does not have a physical keyboard. Translated from English, the term means "multiple touches".
History of occurrence
The first experiments on the creation of touch screens were carried out in the 1960s. Later they found their application at CERN. They equipped the accelerator of elementary particles. In the 1970s, the touchscreen was introduced at the University of Kentucky. Modern technology that once seemed like science fiction has arrived in New York City. Designed by Jeff Hana. This happened eight years ago. We can say that the new opportunities for creating touch screens "multi-touch" arose precisely at the beginning of the 21st century. The inventor organized his own company, which he called "Perceptive Pixel". Highlyshe quickly joined Microsoft and became involved in the development of programs included in the Office suite.
What commands does the touchscreen perform?
First of all, let's define the features of multi-touch: what is it and what is the difference between the usual touch screen and it. The first is able to recognize the coordinates of a point of one touch, and the second is able to recognize the coordinates of a set. This circumstance allows you to make working with an electronic device more comfortable and productive. Many special gestures have been developed to control the device. If you have a smartphone, you must remember that with just two fingers that converge or diverge on the monitor of an electronic gadget, you can set the command to zoom in or out. They also allow you to open folders, files, collapse, move them, rotate, scroll pages. You can enter text using the virtual keyboard. Manufacturers of mobile electronic devices (in particular, smartphones) indicate that their screen is capable of recognizing up to twenty touches. To check the multi-touch screen for the accuracy of this statement, there is a special test program. It is free and freely available on the Internet. It is often used by owners of devices with the Android operating system.
Electronic devices with multi-touch
As a rule, many modern mobile electronic devices support this technology: smartphones, phones, e-books, iPads and even laptops. They are releasedpopular firms such as Apple, Dell, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard and others. There are several options for manufacturing touch screens. The resistive technology was the most popular. It was designed by Sam Hurst. Its biggest plus is its low production cost. This continued until 2008. Other options for creating such displays: optical, tensometric, inductive touchscreens. Now create projective-capacitive touch screens. They are used in their iPhones and iPads by Apple.
Display device
What is the multi-touch screen made of? A capacitive monitor is a glass panel covered with a resistive layer. There are four electrodes at the corners of the display. AC voltage passes through them. When a finger touches the touch screen, leakage current occurs. Large screens with multi-touch support the function of tracking multiple touches of multiple users at the same time. It can have displays created using various technologies. IR frames are being developed and put into production - screens with different diagonals, using infrared illumination and a camera. Special touch films, as well as glass, are in demand among electronics users. They cover displays, their sizes can be from seventeen to fifty inches or more.
Where are touch screens used?
For a modern person, multi-touch technology has become familiar and convenient. That this is part of the interface of the best new electronics, even children know. It is considered a big plus if the device is controlled by touch. Developments are being carried out very actively, which are designed to improve this popular technology. In everyday life, touch panels can be found in shopping malls, medical centers, universities, schools, railway stations. They are used as a means of advertising services and informing customers. Moreover, the visitor of the institution can choose, view the catalog of goods, rotate, move files. Similar panels are produced by Philips. Such a multi-touch system is equipped with speakers and a microphone. The monitor has a high contrast ratio, its surface is resistant to damage and scratches. The panel operates in two modes: streaming (video, flash graphics, animation) and interactive (online control). For a company that uses such devices, this is a great opportunity to raise its prestige in the eyes of partners and customers.
What are their benefits?
Apple used multi-touch technology in their phones and iPhones. As a result, gadgets equipped with touch screens have gained great popularity among buyers. Microsoft uses multitouch on the desktop of its operating systems and considers this direction to be the most promising. If you use devices with a multi-touch display, what it is and what its advantage is, you will soon be able to answer for yourself. First of all, it is the ease of management.with a few finger touches. As a rule, the screen of electronic gadgets is large. Their lack of physical buttons does not interfere with their operation. On the contrary, it allows you to make electronic devices more comfortable, it is a pleasure to use the Internet, play audio or video files. In the presence of special programs, it is possible to simultaneously operate the device by several users. Such an interface makes the management intuitive. Therefore, touch screens are suitable for children, and for advanced youth, and for the elderly.
Customer Reviews
Users of electronics with a touch screen have only the best impressions from communication with it. After all, such a monitor allows you to expand the possibilities of managing files, functions of the gadget. The Apple company releases a tablet, which, in addition to a lot of positive characteristics, also has a screen protected from fingerprints. This is facilitated by the oleophobic coating. Therefore, the device is not only comfortable, but also beautiful. Having talked once with him, the buyers lose the desire to look for something else. Capacitive multi-touch is very convenient for game fans.
The future of technology
Inventor of touch screens, Jeff Hana, believes that there are several directions in which this technology can develop today. Developers have yet to create gigantic touch-controlled displays. This will make them available to multiple users.simultaneously. It is possible that a multi-touch touch with a pen will be connected. This will allow you to solve problems that require a more subtle approach. After all, human fingers sometimes act quite rudely. And with the help of a special object, it will be possible to draw on the display. In this case, both hands of a person will be involved. So, with the left you can influence the scale of the image, resize windows, move them, and write with a pen with the right. Current tablet devices equipped with touch screens do not meet the requirements listed above and are not yet sufficiently adapted to make it convenient to work with a pen and a fingertip at the same time. First of all, their monitors are not big enough, it is inconvenient to use them with two hands. Combining the two file management options (touch and pen) is not yet available. At the same time, interfaces react very slowly to the impact of a special object. When the first multi-touch touch screen appeared, many users had a feeling of discomfort when using devices equipped with such a display. Many lacked a physical keyboard. Another step in the development of technology is the development of icons, objects, the relief and texture of which can be felt. Undoubtedly, we can conclude that touch displays are the future. They represent the face of modern electronics.
