Touch screen technology, which was relatively rare even a few years ago, is rapidly becoming the dominant way humans interact with technology. As more and more industries adopt touch screen technology, the applications for it multiply with the end result being that the touch screen industry has become one of the fastest growing in the world.
The primary way most consumers interact with touch screen technology is still the smartphone, but touch screens are quickly changing the way industries as diverse as retail, aerospace, and healthcare and medical use technology. Industry watchers predict that as touch screens allow an ever-more seamless interface between humans and machines, growth will continue. Worth $3.68 billion (USD) in 2015, the touchscreen industry is set to reach $9.11 billion (USD) by 2022.
Those interested in keeping track of the latest touch screen products for real world applications will want to pay particular attention to the ways new applications for touch screen technology are driving developments in the industry.
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Retail
Retail applications for touch screen technology that were exotic a few short years ago are quickly becoming ubiquitous. With multi touch screen technology so widely available, developers are finding more and more uses for it, from self-serve checkouts to customer service kiosks. It is now completely normal for customers shopping anywhere from fast food restaurants to supermarkets and hardware stores to be able to complete their whole trip without needing to interact with another human.
It is no surprise, then, that retail is one of the greatest drivers of touchscreen growth. Together, consumer electronics and retail accounted for 60% of market share in 2016. As consumers become accustomed to this kind of technology, it is entirely likely that shopping via digital interfaces in brick-and-mortar stores will become the norm.
Aerospace and Military
The aerospace and military sectors have highly specialized and constantly evolving technological needs, and in many ways they are on the global forefront of technological change. Because aerospace and military uses require a high degree of functionality in extreme conditions, they are driving some of the most advanced developments in touch screen technology.
For example, the extremely durable ULTRA Resistive touch screens produced by A D Metro can be operated using gloves in a variety of different environments, and is often used in mobile devices, monitors, and control panels in settings where toughness and durability are non-negotiable.
Healthcare and Medical
Touch screens are also changing the healthcare sector. Not only are they being employed in self-serve patient kiosks to reduce costs and make it easier for patients to provide immediate inputs, they are also an important component in assistive technology products.
High quality ULTRA Resistive screens are seeing growing use, as well as standard resistive and the user-friendly, multi-touch projective capacitive screens that are commonly found in smartphones and tablets.
As the technology develops and the market grows, it will be important for industries that rely on touch screen technology to stay abreast of new developments and new capacities. As with so many other technological developments, what is new one year can quickly become standard. In order to maintain an edge, industry leaders will need to anticipate where the market is going next.
