How do Touch screens work?
Last week, I met a friend from my primary school after 15 years in San Francisco. We played some music and went out for dinner.
Let’s look at how touchscreen technology works this week. I aim to write my newsletter issues in a way one can follow them while traveling on a bus, having a coffee, waiting for food, etc. Let's jump in!
Tablets, Smartphones, Gaming consoles, Fitness watches, Car infotainment systems, and high-end home appliances such as some refrigerators; all these 6 gadgets have one thing in common. None of them can be used without using a touch screen.
The touch screen in your phone consists of an outer glass layer and a display with two conductive layers in between them which form a grid of capacitors. When you touch the screen, it changes the voltage at that point (of that capacitor) due to the flow of charged particles in your body (our body can conduct electricity). The phone detects this voltage change and responds by executing the corresponding action or button press at the location, allowing you to interact with the screen.
Last week, I asked why a mouse doesn’t work when the table surface is super smooth. You can read my last newsletter issue here for more context if you’d like to recall.
