Zytronic Touchscreens Facilitate Upgrade of Intelligent Presentation Systems

PCT™ takes centre stage in latest iteration of ILS’s e-podium offering.

Zytronic’s durable and customisable touch sensors, utilising the company’s proprietary Projected Capacitive Technology (PCT™), are being applied to an ever broader spectrum of industry sectors. One of the company’s latest projects has been with Netherlands based Zytronic representative Telerex and Intelligent Lectern Systems (ILS), a leading developer of audio-visual presentation tools, where a highly customised PCT-based sensor has been developed for incorporation into the next generation of ILS products..

Designed for the auditoriums of academic establishments or the boardrooms of large corporations around the world, the ILS 22G e-podium is an attractive conferencing/presentation system consisting of a sleek, stylish all-in-one console of aluminium construction. It has a 22 inch touch enabled display with a surrounding extended touch zone incorporating a number of source controls, short-cut keys, a full QWERTY keyboard and an annotation pad. These combine to create a stunning 31 inch multifunctional touch area.  The e-podium’s advanced human computer interface (HCI) is designed to be intuitive to use, so that minimal training is required.

A custom designed and printed ZYBRID touch sensor was developed for the ILS 22G – delivering the touch interaction needed with both a high degree of accuracy and rapid responsiveness. The patented projected capacitive touch sensing mechanism, at the heart of each Zytronic touch sensor, consists of a matrix of micro-fine capacitor elements embedded into a highly durable laminated glass substrate. This substrate can be positioned behind a protective overlay (>10mm thick), so that the touch sensor’s active area is not left vulnerable to sources of potential damage. Front-facing touch sensors like resistive or surface capacitive are conversely prone to various forms of harm. This gives PCT much greater resilience to shock, vibrations, scratches, harmful chemicals and exposure to extreme weather conditions – thereby maximising the touchscreen’s operational lifespan. Furthermore, unlike surface acoustic wave (SAW) or infrared (IR) touch sensing solutions, PCT supports drift-free operation, avoiding the need for costly maintenance or recalibration to be undertaken. It also dispenses with the necessity of a bezel in which to house sensor devices.

“Zytronic was chosen to assist in this upgrade because of the performance benchmarks its touch technology was able to offer,” states Henk de Groot, Managing Director of ILS. “The other suppliers that we considered were simply not able to meet the criteria we had set for this project, either in terms of the customisation, resolution, dynamic reaction or the overall robustness required.”

According to Ian Crosby, Sales & Marketing Director at Zytronic, “People often only associate our PCT-based projected capacitive touch screens with outdoor and vandal resistant applications. With the ILS e-podium, we have been able to demonstrate the freedom our technology provides customers, in terms of the user interface design. When coupled with its inherently high level of reliability and durability, the benefits become compelling, even in indoor applications. As projected capacitance based screens like PCT do not need a bezel, the overall aesthetics of the system are greatly enhanced, plus the system is much easier to clean.”