Types of Touch Technologies

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Types of Touchscreen Technology

There are many different touchscreens on the market. Below, you will find short summaries that make each touchscreen technology unique.

Resistive Touchscreens

Resistive touchscreens provide great performance in Point-of-Sale, Medical, and Industrial applications. The screen can be touched with a finger, fingernail, gloved hand, or an object. It has a fast and accurate response every time. However, since the resistive technology is made of different layers, resistive displays may lose clarity over time and is also susceptible to scratching. But, they are also the most common technology due to relative low prices and the wide range of input means (fingers, gloves, stylus).

Capacitive Touchscreens

Capacitive touchscreens work best in environments such as retail displays, gaming, and public kiosks. The screen will only work at the touch of a finger and won't work with a gloved hand or stylus. The screen is durable and also resistant to dirt, dust, and water.

Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW) Touchscreens

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) touchscreens are made of pure glass, which in turn means better image clarity. SAW technology is usually used in ATM's, Banking, and kiosks. It isn't able to be seal protected, so it is not suitable for industrial or commercial applications. When you compare SAW technology to other ones, it provides high resolution and clarity.

Infrared Touchscreens

Infrared touchscreens are usually found in medical and manufacturing applications since they can be completely sealed and will work with the touch of numerous things, such as a finger, gloved hand, or stylus. It is able to offer high image clarity and the cost for an infrared touchscreen is quite high.

For a more detailed breakdown of different vendor touchscreen technologies, check out
3M Microtouch and Elo TouchSystems for more information.


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This page last updated on 1/18/2024 7:27:20 AM