One of the next big steps forward for touchscreen technology is creating a solid solution for gauging pressure rather than just touch, and doing so in such a way that it is cheap enough to be commercially viable in the gadgets we use everyday.
Such a pressure sensitive touchscreen may appear in consumer gadgets this year due to a new $1.4 million deal done between UK company Peratech Limited and Japanese display company Nissha.
Peratech has developed technology that allows for a pressure-sensing touchscreen to be created using a very thin and power efficient extra layer added to a touchscreen. It is called Quantum Tunneling Composite (QTC) and consists of two conductors separated by an insulating barrier.
Touch pressure makes the electrons on the two layers jump towards each other while the insulator keeps them separated. The coming together allows for pressure to be measured and sensors at the edge of the screen pick up very slight changes in the bend of the display (2 micrometers). What you end up with is a very accurate pressure sensor from this QTC layer that is just 75 micrometers thick. It also only uses power when pressure is being applied suggesting it will have very little impact on battery drain.
The significance of Nissha licensing QTC technology is due to the companies it supplies. Both LG and Nintendo are customers suggesting pressure-sensing touchscreens could be in both company’s futures. The licensing agreement Nissha has signed allows it to use QTC in screens smaller than 3.5 x 5.5 inches making this purely for mobile devices to begin with.
These new touchscreens may appear sooner than we think too, as Peratech’s CEO Philip Taysom says April this year should see the first device released using his company’s tech.
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