The explosion of touch screen technology is visible for all to see. Touch screen monitors and touch screen PCs have become commonplace in both work and home environment. It’s estimated that the number of global shipments of touch screen tablets and Smartphones for 2011 stood at 630 million. This is a leap of over 150% from the 244 million that had been shipped in 2009.The technology that supports most touch screen monitors operates through a number of layers that contain an electrical charge. This charge is absorbed by fingers when they come into contact with the screen. The information is then relayed to a processing unit within the device which dictates the function that the device will perform.
Are Touch Screens Taking Over?
In the Smartphone market this is definitely the case as the vast majority of handsets are now produced with touch screens. Some phones are still coming equipped with button press tech, but with touch screens on board as well. Despite the fact that there has been a massive increase in the number of tablet systems in general use, a PC style system remains the option of choice in the workplace. It is worth noting that in addition to the expansion of the market for tablet systems the global sales for laptops and PCs has also been on the increase and it will be some time (if ever) before tablet sales exceed those of their larger counterparts.
The Dawn of the Touchless Computer
The next step in the development of touch screen technology are screens that do not require any contact at all, or so-called Touchless computers. The technology that supports these devices has been developed to the point that manufacturers expect them to be available on the retail market in 2013. Instead of a swipe or a pinch these computer systems respond to instructions delivered through a hand gesture. The screens use cameras, or sound sensors, to interpret these gestures. This type of technology is currently in use in some games consoles and is making a natural progression into the computer market.