Polymer set to revolutionise touchscreens

The licensing agreement gives Nissha exclusive worldwide rights to use the technology for screens smaller than 3.5 x 5.5in. Philip Taysom, Peratech's joint CEO, said: "This … licensing agreement is a huge testament to the power and potential of QTC technology by one of the world's leading manufacturers of touchscreens for mobile phones and gaming consoles." QTC is a screen printable polymer which changes its electrical resistance with applied force. By placing QTC around the perimeter of the screen, Nissha can determine how hard a press is and where it is being made. Taysom added: "Nissha approached us in a move to solve touchscreen problems such as false triggers. At the moment, devices can't differentiate between a finger and other points of contact. Neither can they determine how hard the user is pressing." QTC is low power and interfaces can be designed with no start resistance so when there is no pressure applied, the switch draws no power and passes no current. When pressure is applied, the resistance drops in proportion to the amount of pressure which allows human machine interface designs that react to variations in pressure. Although Nissha will be using QTC on small screens, the technology can be scaled to displays of any size, said Taysom. "It can also be printed beneath a display, which allows developers to create comprehensive display and input solutions." Other potential applications include keypads, where the degree of force determines how quickly a menu scrolls.