In English translation, multi-touch means multi-touch. A unique feature of multi-touch systems is the ability to simultaneously determine the coordinates of two or more touchpoints. Multi-touch sensor systems are widely used in various fields due to their functions.
For example, the touchscreen of a Multitouch phone makes using the device as easy and quick as possible. These systems are also used to change the scale of an image. For example, if the distance between two points of contact is reduced, the image becomes smaller, and as the distance increases, the image becomes larger. Another important feature of this sensor is that multiple users can use the device at the same time. However, in most cases, multi-touch is used to perform other simple functions.
How a multi-touch sensor works
Today’s multi touch screen enablement technologies are subdivided into several types. In fact, there are many different multi-touch systems. They all have complex structures. It is much more complex than traditional single-touch systems. Of course, this does not take into account all types of sensory systems that exist. But let’s take a look at the three most popular and common sensors. So, what is a multi-touch sensor and how does it work?
Estimated capacitive sensor
The implementation of such a multi-touch system is the most practical. There are electrodes inside the screen. When touched with your finger, a capacitor is formed.
In addition, the electronic interface can recognize the capacitance that creates the capacitor and determine the coordinates of the contacts. A distinctive feature of such screens is that they are very durable. Moreover, their work is not capricious. That is, it is not sensitive to contamination.
The downside of this sensor is that you have to keep your finger on the screen. At the same time, it does not react at all to other objects. It is also important to note that certain difficulties arise if the sensor needs to be made large enough (19 inches or larger). Another downside is that a sufficiently large touchscreen made with capacitive projection technology is a source of interference. Also, they are very difficult to manufacture.
Resistive technology
The structure of the technology is that the Multi touch solution itself consists of two layers: an upper layer and a lower layer. The upper layer is a flexible material (special film), and the lower layer is mostly made of glass. This material separates the upper and lower layers to prevent contact. The essence of how this sensor works is that when the screen is pressed, the upper layer (flexible) bends into contact with the lower layer (solid). In this case, the electronic interface records the voltage change at the junctions of each layer and calculates the coordinates.
The advantage of this technology is its low cost and simple equipment. But at the same time, it also has many disadvantages. For example, one of the significant drawbacks is that the upper flexible layer wears out relatively quickly. Also, these touch screens are characterized by low sensitivity.
Another major drawback of these displays is image distortion due to the very thick sensor layer. You can also control the sensor to amplify the distortion. There are also other minor drawbacks to this multi-touch implementation. This is why this technology is rarely used in resistive displays.
Multi-touch optical technology
What is a multi-touch touch screen with an optical sensor? This technology has the greatest potential for multi-touch touch screens. The biggest feature is that there is no limit to the screen size, so it can be used on a variety of devices.
The principle of this technology is that the screen is equipped with an optical sensor with fixed contacts. This sensor is located in the corner of the screen. It is important to note that the sensor works without touching the screen. In other words, the sensor detects movement a certain distance away from the screen, so the interface recognizes your finger even before it touches the screen surface.
This means that you can manipulate the interface not only with your fingers but also with other objects. Also, screen contamination does not alter or degrade sensor performance in any way. However, the disadvantages include unstable operation with lighting changes.
Using the multi-touch sensor
Now you know what a multi-touch sensor is. A unique interface is required to use the multi-touch screen. This means that the apps and programs you use must sync with the sensor. In other words, the multi-touch interface sends program-specific commands that are executed by the application when it reads a specific action.
The multitouchtechnology sensor interface has a set of recognized gestures, each with a specific command. Of course, the user does not need to know all of this. This is because the interaction only needs to know the set of gestures that the system controls.
Now you know how the main types of multi-touch touchscreens work. It’s important to note that the most popular and commonly used sensor in modern devices is the projected capacitive screen. Multitouch screen technology used in;
- Smartphones and tablets;
- IMac;
- Touch panel, etc.
- Multi-touch
Touch (multiple touches in English) is a feature of a touch input system that allows you to determine the coordinates of two or more touchpoints simultaneously. For example, you can use multi-touch to change the size of an image. The larger the distance between the touchpoints, the larger the image the multi-touch screen also allows multiple users to work on the device at the same time. It is often used to perform other simple touchscreen functions, such as single touch or almost multi-touch.
