Technology finger touch away
Sukhpreet Singh

INFORMATION & Communication Technology (ICT) has changed the way we work, the way we communicate and now it is trying to change the way we relate to technology!

It is a common sight to see kids and senior citizens use handheld personal organiser using stylus. The technology, which beyond doubt has been able to bridge the digital divide, is all about using the finger or at the most a stylus to view or manipulate information that appears on the computer screen and is rightly named touch technology.

Touch technology, by far, seems to be most effective invention of the information technology that has found easy acceptance with persons unfamiliar with PC, mouse or keyboard. Just as the traditional system registers every event of a mouse click, the touch-screen system also generates an event each time the screen of the system is touched. A touch-screen is one of the easiest PC interfaces to use, making it the choice for a wide variety of applications. It has improved human -computer interaction, in areas like:

1.Personnel organisers

2.Public information displays.

3.Restaurant systems

4.Customer care and information boxes

Various components of touch-screen technology are:

Touch sensor: The first component that one sees on the touch screen may just be a clear glass panel. However, these glass panels contain touch screen sensor and are an important element with a touch responsive surface. This touch sensor is placed over the display screen so that the responsive area of the panel covers the viewable area of the video screen. The touch sensor has an electrical current or signal passing through it. When the screen is touched, it causes a voltage or signal change. This voltage change is used to determine the location of the touch on the screen.

Controller: The controller is a small PC card that connects between touch sensor and the PC. Just like any other controller, it takes information from the touch sensor and translates to what the PC can understand. The controller is generally installed inside the monitor for integrated monitors or is housed in a plastic case for external add on. Controllers are available that can connect to serial/ COM port (PC) or to a USB port. Special controllers have been developed that can work with DVD players and other devices.

Software driver: The driver is a software update that allows touch-screen and the PC to work together. It tells the computer’s operating system to interpret the touch event information that is sent by the controller.