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When using computers, people often rely on keyboards, mice, tablets or voice input commands to achieve man-machine communication. In addition to these, there is a more direct and simple method, no mouse and cursor, no second action, just a finger touch is a command. This amazing simplification gives this technology a powerful magic, and it's touch screen technology.

There are four types of touch screens: resistive, capacitive, infrared and surface acoustic wave.

Either way, you need to include sensors, touch detection, and touch controllers. The touch screen itself is a sensor and also a touch detector.

When your finger touches the touch screen, the touch point will be detected by the touch screen, and the touch controller will convert the collected information into contact coordinates to determine the meaning of the contact; after this command is interpreted, the information will be sent to the host, so that the command will be executed according to the incoming information. Touch screens are not only easy to use, responsive and space-saving, but also rugged, making them the leader in display technology.

Apple's new iPhone was a shock when it came out, devoid of familiar buttons and operated on a 3.5-inch (8.89 cm) touchscreen. Due to the use of full touch screen control technology, unexpected results have been produced. Touch screens replace fluorescent screens and push button keyboards.

You pinch the screen with two fingers, the window and image immediately shrink, two fingers again, the image immediately becomes larger, you can also use your fingers to move the image on the screen, like calling the wind and rain, all of which are based on touch screen technology.

In 1964, the invention of the mouse brought computer operation into a new era, but less than 10 years later, the emergence of touch screens made graphical human-computer interaction more intuitive. The invention that revolutionized the computer world was not easy.

Touch screen technology has developed in difficult times. In 1971, Samuel Haster, then a physicist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was teaching at the University of Kentucky. The sheer volume of student work required him to review a large number of graphs and data every day. This repetitive work annoyed him and forced him to think about ways to improve his efficiency.

To deal with these figures and data, Samuel Hastert developed a quick processing pattern in his mind, which was to use hand touches instead of typing on the keyboard. In order to put this model into practice, we must first try to make a prototype.

Harst made up his mind to convert three basements into workshops, one for woodworking, one for manufacturing electronic components, and one for assembling machines.

In this way, he set up his own touch screen workshop and produced the first hand-built and assembled prototype. While the prototype was nothing compared to today's touchscreens, the clunky device was the forerunner of modern touchscreens large and small.

The prototype successfully achieved the working mode of sending out work instructions with hand touch. After excitement, Hastert quit his job and set up his own company. Hastert and his companions often worked late into the night, but the family in the same residence did not see him all day long. They had to visit him in the basement. Sometimes, the whole family rolled up their sleeves and followed suit.

In the eyes of outsiders, this company's invention is great, but in the eyes of family members, this is not a company at all, it is simply a simple workshop, all the documents of the company are packed in two shoe boxes, one for bills and one for memos.

Less than two years later, the technology matured and was named one of the 100 most important new technology products of the year by the American Industrial Research magazine. But only the family knew how hard things had been for Hastert.

"The kitchen and bedroom were our offices," his wife recalled."The bills and receipts were in shoe boxes. We always felt short of money and had to count our expenses one by one, often exceeding our income by Friday. "

In 1973, the company's products were already taking shape, but a look at the company's books for that year showed that at the closing of accounts on May 2 of that year, only $10 remained!

Company books for the year 1974 Hastert's company conditions were finally improved. This year they began to cooperate with Siemens, with strong technical support, so that the touch screen technology continues to improve. Hastert finally succeeded in developing the first transparent touch screen and obtained a patent on October 7, 1975.

In 1977, after the invention of electronic graphics and 5-wire resistors, touch screen technology has been greatly improved, and the product has become a model. At this time, touch screen technology is basically fixed as the mode used today.

However, by the early 1980s, the company's operations were still not smooth. In the company memo at the time, it was also recorded that Haster set a goal for the company, which was to strive for 10 units per day. Company bills are still in shoe boxes from 10 years ago. It wasn't until 1992 that Hastert showed off 33 touchscreen-equipped TVs for the first time at a technology fair, allowing ordinary people to touch the magic touch screen.

The launch of the iPhone in 2007 was a milestone in the development of touch screen technology. Apple has designed a mobile phone that requires at least 20 buttons to require only three or four keys, leaving the rest to the touch screen. People quickly adopted this "touch" mode of operation.

Touch screen operation can be seen everywhere, such as on-demand songs, bank withdrawals, book information, hospital registration, ticket purchase, airport inquiry, etc. Touch screens have evolved to express more complex commands with the location, force, and direction of finger touch. With it, people can easily access Internet information and easily push their own information to share with others.

In just a few years, touch screen technology has entered the world and entered human life, becoming an indispensable device for mobile phones and computers.

Source: 365 Days in the History of Science, slightly revised

Author: Wei Fengwen Wu Yi

Editor: Zhang Runxin

This article comes from Weixin Official Accounts: origin reading (ID: tupyread), author: 365 days in the history of science

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