One does not have to look very far to find some article, blog, tweet or whatever medium that is expounding the impact of touch technology - sensors and displays - on everyday life. Although much of the headlines are focused, maybe rightly so, on the iPhone, the iPad and other mobile computing and communications platforms which are transforming how we interact with the world, one fundamental segment, arguably critical to our continued development as a species, that may be easily overlooked is education and learning.
The use of interactive white boards (and learning centers) leveraging touch technology (i.e. optical, digital cameras, resistive, etc.) is believed to be instrumental in helping decrease the stress on teachers, helping students learn faster through greater collaboration and interaction, and the natural, intuitive movements used with touch-sensitive displays allows students as young as pre-school to use the technology as a means of facilitating learning.
SMART Technologies, a leading supplier of interactive whiteboards, acquired NextWindow in part to boost its investment in optical touch technology and patent portfolio, as well as expand its presence into the broader consumer market and strengthen its presence in Asia. VDC believes another reason for the acquisition was the desire for continued integration of optical touch technologies into solutions that can serve the specific needs of educational users.
Education is one of SMART Technologies key markets and they are believed to be the first company to provide a multi-touch, multi-user interactive learning center which schools are now evaluating and considering deployment. Additional education related market segments in which interactive touch-sensitive white boards are being embraced include corporate training program, public safety training program, and any other government (local, state and federal) training programs.
VDC’s research on touch screen sensors covers the mainstay sensor technologies such as resistive, capacitive (including projected capacitive), surface acoustic wave, scanning infrared, and other emerging sensing technologies such as optical, incell, etc.). VDC's research provides coverage of touch screen displays - mobile and stationary, by device type (kiosk, POS, smart phone, laptop, etc.) and much more.
We would like to learn about any applications you are seeing, or expect to see, touch screen technologies being utilized for good (or bad) purposes. They could be as mundane as ATMs or as nascent/emerging as wearable technologies and/or smart fabrics and interactive textiles.
VDC is willing to provide a summary webcast highlighting our findings if you have interest and we welcome the opportunity for you to share you perspectives and address your questions or discuss your ideas on the positive impact of touch technology on your life.
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