Touchscreens are ubiquitous in our daily lives, from smartphones and tablets to kiosks and ATMs. But what about touchscreens for outdoor applications, such as gas pumps, vending machines, or industrial controls? How do they cope with the challenges of weather, sunlight, and durability?
In this article, we will explore the factors that make touchscreens suitable for outdoor use, the different types of touch technologies available, and some examples of outdoor touchscreen solutions.
Factors for outdoor touchscreens
Outdoor touchscreens face many difficulties that indoor touchscreens do not. Some of the main factors to consider are:
- Weather and moisture: Outdoor touchscreens must be able to withstand rain, snow, salt water, and extreme temperatures. They must also be sealed to prevent water or dust from entering the device and causing malfunctions or corrosion. Moreover, they must be able to detect and reject false touches caused by water droplets or other liquids on the screen.
- Sunlight and UV radiation: Outdoor touchscreens must be readable in bright sunlight, which can cause glare and reduce contrast. They must also be resistant to UV radiation, which can damage the screen over time and cause yellowing, cracking, or fading. To achieve this, outdoor touchscreens need to use special materials, coatings, and bonding techniques that filter UV rays and reduce reflections.
- Durability and vandalism: Outdoor touchscreens must be able to withstand repeated use, impact, and abrasion. They must also be able to resist vandalism, such as graffiti, scratches, or breakage. To achieve this, outdoor touchscreens need to use toughened glass, such as Gorilla Glass® or glass-film-glass (GFG), which can resist cracks and scratches. They may also need to use anti-graffiti or anti-fingerprint coatings to prevent stains and smudges.
Types of touch technologies
There are many types of touch technologies available, but not all of them are suitable for outdoor use. Some of the most common ones are:
- Resistive touchscreens: These use two layers of conductive material, separated by a thin gap, that register a touch when pressed together by a finger or a stylus. Resistive touchscreens are cheap, simple, and compatible with any input device, but they have low resolution, low sensitivity, and low durability. They are also affected by moisture and dust, and they are not readable in direct sunlight.
- Capacitive touchscreens: These use a layer of conductive material, such as indium tin oxide (ITO), that registers a touch when a finger or a conductive stylus changes the electric field on the surface. Capacitive touchscreens are high resolution, high sensitivity, and high durability, but they are more expensive, complex, and incompatible with non-conductive input devices, such as gloves. They are also affected by water and other conductive liquids, and they may need special coatings or filters to reduce glare and UV damage.
- Optical touchscreens: These use infrared (IR) light sources and sensors around the edges of the screen that register a touch when an object blocks the light beams. Optical touchscreens are high resolution, high sensitivity, and compatible with any input device, but they are more expensive, complex, and prone to interference from ambient light and dust. They are also affected by water and other liquids, and they may need special coatings or filters to reduce glare and UV damage.
Examples of outdoor touchscreen solutions
There are many examples of outdoor touchscreen solutions in various industries and applications. Some of them are:
- Schurter: Schurter is a Swiss company that specializes in input systems, including outdoor touchscreens. Schurter offers resistive and capacitive touchscreens with various features, such as gap encapsulation, UV filtering, anti-reflective coating, optical bonding, and glove mode. Schurter’s touchscreens are used in medical, maritime, industrial, and automotive applications.
- UICO: UICO is a US company that specializes in rugged PCAP touchscreens for outdoor use. UICO offers touchscreens with various features, such as high brightness, wide temperature range, gloved touch, water resistance, and power efficiency. UICO’s touchscreens are used in appliance, gaming, gas pump, kiosk, and vehicle applications.
- Zytronic: Zytronic is a UK company that specializes in optical touchscreens for outdoor use. Zytronic offers touchscreens with various features, such as high brightness, wide temperature range, vandal resistance, multi-touch, and gesture recognition. Zytronic’s touchscreens are used in ATM, vending machine, digital signage, and gaming applications.
