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Touch Screens Make Debut In The Kitchen

Touch technology is everywhere. Touch screen kiosks, phones, GPS systems and even books can be read using touch screen panels. Since touch technology has been improving modern conveniences for several years now, it’s not surprising that we would soon find touch technology in our kitchens. These latest talked about kitchen appliance are touch screen crock pot, ovens and dishwashers.

How Capacitive Touch Screen Panels Work
Without ever touching a touchpad itself, the electric sensors can activate operations and functions with fingertips just hovering over the surface.
In order for the capacitive technology to function, it must be touched by something else that also exhibits electricity- like the human body. When a person’s finger touches a capacitive screen, it sends an electric current to then form a mathematical function which signals an action. A capacitive touch screen panel is coated with a thin indium tin oxide material that conducts continuous electrical currents across a sensor- like when a finger touches the appliance’s interface surface. It will exude a controlled electronic field in both a vertical and horizontal axis and therefore is capacitive.

Advances in touch technology helps busy cooks in the kitchen touch the screen without actually touching it. Instead of getting hands messy and getting knobs and appliance surfaces gummy- the touch screens can sense touch up to three inches away.

Companies like Electrolux and Crock Pot feature control panels that appear "dark" and blank until touched to illuminate and reveal a bright and colorful display allowing operation of all functions. The 6.5 quart oval slow that cooker by eLume is called the eLume Programmable Slow Cooker, has a touch screen user interface. Features include a countdown control panel and an auto-shift to warm function. From ovens, to microwaves, dishwashers, warmers and even a touch panel barbeque a person’s entire kitchen can now be accessed completely "hands free."

Before all the recent attention was drawn to iPhones, capacitive touch technology was considered too expensive and delicate to use in most consumer-related touch screen products like grocery store check out kiosks or toys. The resistive touch technology – a more durable technology was and still is widely used for touch that most of us often see and are affected by objects like a stylus pen or physical pressing onto a button which signals the resistive screen. Now, thanks to the popularity of capacitive sensors, we could see an increase in factory production of capacitive sensors, thus reducing the cost of capacitive touch technology. Much like the remote control has forever changed the way we watch T.V., looking back years from now; consumers will laugh at how we once had to physically turn knobs and dials to function our appliances.

About the Author

About the author: Melissa Peterman is a web content specialist for Innuity. For more information about
touchpad
touch screen panels go to CIRQUE.

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