User:Bill Flanagan/docs/Multi-touch screens and neural networks

iphone

The iphone uses a coating that allows for the measurement of finger impact. The resistance-measuring coating feeds into a processor that does the actual calculation of the x/y coordinates as well as the measured velocity of changes in the coating.

Currently this is not handled via a discrete component but soon will be. In the next release of Windows, Microsoft will include 'multi-touch' technology for screens. Apple already uses this in the trackpads in their newer machines.

This suggests that the following components are coming to market at ridiculously low pricing:

1. Materials for device skins that can be applied to create touch sensitivity. 3M currently sells such material in strips and sheets that can be applied to flat surfaces.

1. Discrete processors for translating the input from multi-touch sensors into digital outputs designed to be manipulated by general purpose CPU's. An example of this would be the processors sold by Synaptics that drive the touch-pad sensors in most laptops. Synaptics is already preparing to provide their own general-purpose solution to this multitouch analysis. (http://news.cnet.com/1606-12994_3-6150132.html?tag=ne.video.6150150)