E3 Commercial Articles - E3 Display AZ

SID Display Week in Los Angeles

Ray Damper — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 19:11:00 +0000

Hosted by the Society for Information Display (SID), the International Display Week Symposium, Seminar, & Exhibition, will be held at the Los Angeles Convention Center from May 21-26, 2023. Don’t miss the leading display experts’ technical sessions, short courses, seminars, and business conference showcasing the latest technology advancements in electronic displays and imaging.

The six-day event features nearly 400 technical presentations, numerous tutorials and short courses, a seminar series, a business conference addressing the display market outlook, an Imaging and Vision Special Event, the I-Zone, and over 100 exhibitors. While you’re planning your conference schedule make sure to reserve an in-person meeting with E3 Displays Co-Founder and Executive VP, Rob Tomasek. E3 will be in meeting room #44.

E3 Displays designs and manufactures custom display, touch, and electronics solutions for its customers in the automotive, aviation, commercial, industrial, medical, and military markets, delivering high-reliability performance in the human-machine interface (HMI) function, every time and everywhere.

If you have any questions about E3 Displays and the value and solutions they provide, please contact Rob through LinkedIn to schedule a meeting at the SID Display Week 2023. Rob enjoys networking with others and will demonstrate how his resources and connections can bring value to you, your products, and your business.

Looking forward to seeing you at the Los Angeles Convention Center!

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Smart Homes: How Electronic Displays Are Taking the Guesswork And Stress Out Of Cooking And Doing Laundry

E3 Displays — Tue, 24 Nov 2020 16:52:42 +0000

As the concept of smart homes becomes more mainstream, appliances throughout the home will find new and innovative means by which to take advantage of the internet. Nearly every appliance in the house can have additional functionality once it is connected to the internet, and it is from here that the concept of the Internet of Things arises.

As the functionality of these appliances continues to expand users require an effective and efficient means of interacting with them and taking advantage of the features that the internet opens them up to. This is where touch screens come in.

Touch screens have been a staple in technology for the longest time now. They manage to stick around because of how refined the user experience is. With LCD touch screens, you can easily see the content you are interacting with, and input is straightforward for anyone, even individuals who are not well-versed with technology.

The internet-based functionality that these appliances are now being manufactured with makes interaction uncomplicated as well as being able to add a more high-tech appearance to the appliance. Manufacturing touch screens have become a cost-effective process, so even inexpensive appliances can be bundled with LCD displays that allow for a better user experience.

How Are Displays Used in Appliances?

With the level of innovation that manufacturers are achieving, LCD displays and touch screens can find their way into nearly any appliance in the home. One place where smart products are being rapidly developed is in kitchen appliances.

A toaster can come with internet connectivity and a touch screen. This will allow the user to toast their bread to their perfect taste, save the setting, and allow the toaster to do the rest the next time they want to use it. This way, users don’t need to worry about choosing the wrong setting. With the different things that can be heated in a toaster, manufacturers can include different settings to achieve the perfect finish to anything.

A smart fridge can put a display to many uses. Fridge magnets can be replaced by digital images on the screen. The consumer can easily bring up recipes on the display so they know exactly what they need to bring out from the fridge. In addition to this, if a user ever realizes that they are running low on certain groceries, they can order straight from the fridge, thanks to internet connectivity.

A coffee maker can easily be set to download recipes that a user selects via its touch screen. They can also set your perfect cup as a preset and tap an icon on the screen whenever they want to get their quick morning cup of coffee. With a display, a user can easily set a timer so that their coffee is already brewing before they even get out of bed.

However, as displays find their way into new parts of the home, they must be able to deal with the peculiarities of the environment in which they now reside. The technology behind the average touch screen is sufficient for the typical touch screen, but for displays in locations like the kitchen, for instance, they must be able to detect input through a thicker glass, or through kitchen mittens. Luckily, displays have a new technology that takes care of this.

How Do Touch Screens Work?

There is a lot of work going on behind a touch screen that helps to accurately detect your touches. The major components in a touch screen are an array of electrodes (indium tin oxide being one of the prominent materials used) and a touch IC controller.

A touch panel has a charge distributed across its surface. By using a conductive material, such as a finger, to contact the screen, there is a change in the charge of the panel at a specific spot. The IC controller is able to determine exactly where the change in charge happened and converts that into input data for the device.

The change in charge is minute, so the IC controller must be extremely sensitive so as to detect it. The signal from the charge can be amplified to an extent, to allow for a more sensitive screen, like one that can detect touches through gloves. However, amplifying the signal will also amplify signal noise in the traditional touch panel. Signal noise will result in erroneous touches, and while this can be a mere annoyance in some appliances, it can be potentially disastrous in others.

Luckily, a new technology known as differential mutual technology is able to overcome this hurdle and provide a better user experience with touch screens.

What Is Differential Mutual Technology?

Differential mutual technology is an advancement in touch screen technology that allows for increased sensitivity with better accuracy and less noise. The technology is able to cancel out signal noise similar to the manner that noise-canceling audio equipment does.

Differential mutual technology is able to cancel the noise through a brilliantly thought out mechanism. The sense lines in a touch screen that use differential mutual technology come in pairs. The signal and a negative signal are both passed through these pairs. Due to the fact that the signal noise that passes through each pair is identical, when the signals are subtracted from one another, the noise cancels out. This will allow only the actual signal information to be left behind, free of any noise. Thanks to this, the signal can then be amplified significantly as there is no noise to cause erroneous touches.

With an amplified signal, the IC controller will be able to detect touches more sensitively than before without false touches getting in the mix. This provides advantages in that touches can be detected through gloves, thick glass or plastic coverings, or airgaps in the touch panels that are not optically bonded.

What Are the Applications of Displays with Differential Mutual Technology?

With an increased signal gain, screens are more sensitive to actual touches while reducing the chance for false touches which is something that typically can’t be achieved with regular touch panels. The following are some of the advantageous situations where differential mutual touch screens can be applied in home appliances.

1. ) Displays on appliances can be interacted with through thick gloves. This is particularly useful for kitchen appliances. Oven gloves or mittens are very thick to protect the wearer from hot kitchen utensils and cookware. Interacting with a display through the material of an oven mitten tends to be impossible for regular displays. Differential mutual touch panels will be able to sense touch input through the material of a glove, improving the user experience. This can apply particularly for displays on stovetops or ovens.

2.) Appliances can incorporate thicker protective layers. Whether glass or plastic, there is a limit to how thick the layer on a regular touch screen can be. This implies reduced durability. With thicker cover lenses, appliances are more durable. This is particularly important for appliances that may bear weight such as cookers. Previously, touch panels would not be able to detect touches through such thick cover lenses, but this technology makes it a possibility.

3.) Allows for multi-touch support in previously unsupported conditions. Displays that previously allowed input with gloves were usually not able to support multiple touches, as a caveat. In this case, multi-touch input can work just as well through thick cover lenses or with gloves on. This allows for gestures such as pinching to zoom, rotate, and more.

4.) Improved touch input for optically bonded touch screens. Optically bonded touch screens are clearly superior to touch displays with air gaps. This process provides added value in many ways, including superior readability and visual quality, better heat dissipation, and removing the chance for condensation below the cover lens. In addition to all of this, differential mutual technology will improve the already stellar touch sensitivity. This gives users the absolute best user experience, which is something manufacturers want to achieve with their LCD displays.

With the patent for differential mutual technology in touch screens already in place, manufacturers of home appliances can start thinking of how to apply this technology to their products. It will allow for an improved user experience, expanded functionality, and more innovative designs. It also opens up the potential for reduced production and repair costs, which transfer to the consumer.

Giving your customers a flawless experience with your products, and at a reasonable cost, is essential. This builds brand loyalty and improves your reputation. By giving your customers products that react to their touch the way they should, they will definitely stick with you and your company.

We can provide cutting-edge LCD displays and touch screens for your products to enable them to stand out from the competition. Together, we can keep your customers loyal and satisfied.

About E3 Displays

We’re a global design and manufacturing company that helps the world’s most innovative companies define the future of their business display needs. With over 20 years of combined experience in display technology, E3 Displays has everything you need to develop and manufacture your custom touch display all in one place. With customer-centric solutions featuring strategic planning, competitive pricing, longevity, and support, we ensure the best products on the market to help you scale. In the end, displays are a centerpiece in any hardware that provides a very important visual message in your product. We want to ensure that the visual entity exceeds your optical and performance requirements.

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This Is Not The End Of Touchscreens As We Know Them. Here Is Why!

E3 Displays — Thu, 08 Oct 2020 08:00:49 +0000

The invention of touch screens was a revolutionary moment for technology. It drastically altered how humans interact with tech. Not only did they make it extremely easy to interface with our devices, but being able to get rid of buttons meant that the screens could take up space that the buttons previously held. Larger displays make using any device significantly more convenient. It’s easy to see why LCD touch screens are so prevalent these days, and why they’ve stood the test of time. With the advent of COVID, however, things have changed quite significantly. We have all become more conscious of the things that we touch, especially in public. This, of course, includes touch screens. This is a major concern for everyone, particularly with how common LCD touch displays are in everyday life. Trying to get something to eat at a fast-food restaurant can sometimes mean touching a display. With how universal LCD touch screens are, and with how we are now very wary of the things we touch, it is easy to see that touch screens are under the spotlight. Even after this coronavirus pandemic has settled to manageable levels, the precautions we take now will eventually become second nature. People will be wary to touch things in public places. The question we want to ask is, will touchscreens be able to outlive COVID? The answer is yes. The absolute convenience of touch screens cannot be denied. But instead of putting precautions into the hands of users, businesses and manufacturers can put some factors in place to make using touch screens feel as safe as it has ever been.

Using Antimicrobial Films to Stay Safe

No matter what the eventual fate of the touchscreen is, it’s a fact that it is too ubiquitous to be going anywhere anytime soon. This is why innovations have been put in place that will make using LCD touch displays safer, yet still entirely possible to use. This includes the use of antimicrobial films laminated on the LCD. Antimicrobial films use silver nanoparticles to attain their characteristic effect. Silver causes a series of changes when introduced into a microbial cell, eventually killing the cell. As a result, surfaces covered with silver nanoparticles are able to inhibit the growth of microbes. This has been scientifically proven via research after a study showed a 99% reduction in microbes on a surface treated with silver nanoparticles after a full day. By applying these same silver nanoparticles to a film, it can easily be applied to an LCD, and there is instant antimicrobial action. Once an antimicrobial film is in place, it can give business owners, manufacturers, and users, peace of mind in knowing that the display is clean and will keep their users and customers safe. With film lamination, these antimicrobial films can be applied directly to the surface of the display, and you won’t be able to tell the difference. If they get really worn out or scratched, these films can be peeled away with the application of heat, and a new film can be reapplied. Film lamination gives you the opportunity to keep your device looking good as new without breaking the bank.

What Are the Benefits of Using a Touchscreen?

Touch screens have been so prevalent since their advent because of how many advantages they bring to the table. It’s hard to imagine using any form of interaction that is not a touch display. That’s just a testament to how great they are. These are only some of the advantages you get from using a touch screen:

Better durability: Interaction with a touch screen is purely through its display. There are no buttons to press, and this is a good thing. Buttons are considered a mechanical part, and those are more prone to failure than an electronic part like an LCD. Using an LCD touch screen means that you can have more faith in the durability of your product when used correctly. LCD touch screens can break, but when used properly, a touch screen will work longer than an LCD with a button input.
Better user experience: The fact that buttons aren’t needed on a touch display allows for the LCD to take up the extra space that the buttons normally would have occupied. This means a device can have a bigger display than a similar button-based device. Or, it can have the same size screen with a smaller footprint. Either way, it means that the user has a better experience. A larger screen makes interacting with content easier and more pleasurable, and a smaller device is always preferred for its portability.
Uncomplicated to use: Buttons on devices tend to be small, and they aren’t able to convey visual information that well. There may be a tiny label telling you what the button does, or a small icon to indicate its function. A touch screen can have a full-color image and can work well for children or people who can’t read or see well. All you need to do is use a pictorial representation. This also makes it simple to operate for people who have difficulty using technology. In addition, most mobile devices with touch screens allow for customization of icons and text, as well as modifying the keyboard.
Easier to clean: A display is a flat surface, so it can be easy to wipe down with cleaning solutions or disinfectants. While a device with buttons can be cleaned as well, you need to be cautious when doing so. Getting any liquids into the buttons can cause damage, so cleaning them is less straightforward and can potentially cause damage unless they are made to be waterproof. Also, the spaces around a button are hard to reach, making them difficult to clean. This can allow germs to survive in those places, and potentially infect people operating the device.

What Are the Alternatives to Touchscreens?

Even without a pandemic making using touch screens a cautious decision, alternatives were being developed to make interacting with devices less physical. Though these solutions are intuitive, they are yet to reach the level of development where they are as reliable to use as touch displays. LCD touch screens still remain the most practical solution in these times, even following COVID. These alternatives include:

Voice-activated displays: Even on our smartphones, we have virtual assistants that allow us to control functionality simply by speaking to the device. This is an extremely convenient means of interaction, and it is very useful for people with disabilities. The main issue with voice control for devices is that it is slow. It is easier to navigate and click on the feature you want to activate than speaking it out. In addition to this, voice activation has issues with recognizing speech. As technology improves, these parts will get better, but it is not yet at the mainstream level.
Gesture control: This uses sensors or cameras to detect the motion of your hands or head to input data into the system. You don’t need to come in contact with the device, but simply swipe your hand, or nod your head to move through and select menu items. This keeps you out of physical contact with the device, keeping you safe. A problem with gesture navigation is in its accuracy. It uses software to have the sensors or cameras interpret your motion, but this does not always work flawlessly. In addition to this, it is much quicker to touch an item on the display rather than swipe your hand through the air.
Remote device control: Everyone has a smartphone these days. A lot of smartphones have NFC chips in them, and this opens a lot of possibilities for interaction with other devices. By putting your smartphone near the one you wish to operate, it is possible to control the device from your phone, without having to be in contact with the other device. This is a great solution, though it leaves out the few people who may not have smartphones. Considering the wide range of phone models, there may also be compatibility issues encountered.

How Can Our Touchscreens Withstand Harsh Chemicals?

Ultimately, it is not practical to think that any input method will be succeeding touch displays any time soon. As a result, it is important to figure out ways to maintain the functionality and benefits of LCD touch screens and keep them safe for use by users. By cleaning touch screens frequently each day, you can keep them hygienic and allay any fears regarding coronavirus. The good thing is that our touchscreens can resist the direct application of harsh chemicals, which includes all forms of cleaning solution. Harsh chemicals can alter the chemical structure of the typical polymers used for display films, so we use a specially designed polymer with chemical resistance for our films. Asides from this, a glass-film-glass layering can be used. Glass is naturally resistant to these cleaning chemicals. Along with an IP65 ingress protection rating, you can be sure that the outside, and inside, of your display will be safe.

Conclusion

As a manufacturer or a business owner, you may worry that customers will have concerns regarding the safety of touch screens, but with the proper precautions and knowledge in place, they can use your touch displays with as little fear as they had before the coronavirus pandemic, while staying safer. Combining antimicrobial films, film lamination, and frequent cleaning of LCDs, will keep your displays as microbe-free as they could ever be, and you can have peace of mind. Make the right choice; for your customers, and for your business.

About E3 Displays

The post This Is Not The End Of Touchscreens As We Know Them. Here Is Why! appeared first on E3 Displays.

5 Ways Interactive Touchscreen LCDs Are Increasing Student Success

E3 Displays — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 23:20:18 +0000

In classrooms these days everywhere you look you see kids with their heads down looking at their smartphones. When they get home, they go to their computer or tablet. Once it’s bedtime, they pick up their phones then lay down in bed while browsing the internet and texting their friends. The frustration of teachers and school administrators trying to enforce technology rules and keeping students engaged can sometimes make them want to pull their hair out. But what if instead of schools attempting to completely ban technology, they use it to their advantage? Many schools across the country are taking advantage of this new technologically adept generation to implement digital learning tools that enable teachers to expand their curriculum, keep students engaged, and improve collaboration. Chalkboards and traditional whiteboards are transforming into interactive thin film transistor (TFT) LCD touch screen whiteboards. Gigantic textbooks that weigh down backpacks and pocketbooks can now be found on a student’s LCD touch screen device. Teachers can record webinars and lectures that are posted online for distance learning and to be re-watched for deeper understanding. Many teachers, parents, and students feel that education should not be completely virtual, but they also agree that today’s technology can help educate in ways that have never been possible before. Here’s what you should know about how TFT LCD technology is making education smarter, not harder.

What is a TFT Display?

TFT stands for “Thin Film Transistor” and these transistors are used in high-quality flat-panel LCDs. This allows the electrical current that illuminates the display to be turned on and off at a faster rate and shows motion much smoother. Because TFT displays are active-matrix LCDs and greatly improve image color quality, contrast, and clarity, it is one of the most popular display technologies. The difference between active and passive matrix displays is that passive matrix displays are controlled by an intersection of two wires in the grid. Active matrix displays control each pixel through capacitors. Active matrix displays can support faster-moving content more effectively. However, passive matrix technology is typically suitable for smaller format displays. Active matrix TFT LCDs are also more cost-effective than the newer OLED technology. Both the technological and price advantages of TFT displays make them the preferred display type for classrooms.

How Interactive LCD Whiteboards Enhance the Learning Experience

Interactive whiteboards are often referred to as an electronic whiteboard or smartboard. Teachers can connect their computers to the board through an HDMI cable or AirPlay. Teachers can use the display for projecting video lessons, notes, homework, and much more! Some boards even come equipped with game-style learning applications that enhance any lesson plan. Students can interact directly with the display using a special pen or their finger. Yale University published an article that stated, “…one study found that when instructors presented content on PowerPoint and also elaborated on the content via the chalkboard, students were more active and spent more time asking questions…” This shows that smart boards are a great supplement to traditional education and are best used as an enhancement rather than a replacement.

What are the Benefits of Classrooms with Interactive LCD Smartboards?

1. Larger Viewing Capabilities
1. Large-format LCD touch screens can help teachers cater to more student needs. Sometimes, students who sit in the back of the classroom become disconnected from the lesson plan, for various reasons, but for one being that it is difficult for them to view the whiteboard. Teachers sometimes resort to smaller writing because they are working in a confined space and don’t want to have to erase lesson notes halfway through. Small writing, combined with glare on the whiteboard from overhead lights forces students to sit on the floor closer to the board or just hope they are getting the right information. With interactive TFT displays, teachers not only have endless space to write but can zoom in to and highlight important notes. This ensures the display is comfortably seen by everyone. The LCD displays can also appeal to visual and auditory learners by displaying video and multimedia content. Students with special needs can benefit from integrated assistive features like text to speech, speech to text, captions, and much more! Unlike traditional whiteboards that are fixed to the wall, smart boards can be installed on ADA-compliant lifts that provide adjustable height and tilt angles. Interactive TFT LCD displays are the key to reaching EVERY student!

2. Collaboration
1. By promoting active learning and collaboration students are more likely to be engaged and better retain information. Interactive displays have the ability to host software, such as educational games, where students can interact directly on the screen or from their seats with their smart devices. Smartboards can display notes, videos, graphs, and more all at once so students can brainstorm and manipulate on-screen content as a team. As they are working out solutions in real-time, the display size and readability enables them to receive feedback from the entire class. When it’s difficult for a student to explain their ideas in words, they can draw them out on the board and pull up supporting material. Teachers have also utilized classroom LCD displays to gain classroom feedback and answer questions. Students can submit questions anonymously from their seats, get helpful answers from both their teacher and peers and not feel embarrassed or singled out. Collaboration skills are critical employment skills that employers expect. Many students are unable to grow this skill through traditional education. LCD whiteboards can help promote a hands-on learning environment where everyone is involved.

3. Engagement
1. The average student attention span is 10-15 minutes, and as the students get younger, that time frame only gets smaller. Traditional whiteboards lack the dynamics it takes to keep students actively engaged. TFT LCD displays produce a range of colors and hues and support moving graphics that all help increase curiosity, active listening, and attention span. When teachers are able to quickly flip through supplemental education materials, students are not stuck focusing on one thing for too long. Interactive displays increase motivation throughout every level of education. Studies show that students in classrooms with interactive whiteboards had increased achievement as well as participation. They were also able to engage with and focus on lessons for longer periods. It’s easy for students to get side-tracked, but with dynamic TFT displays, students are more likely to take more away from each lesson.

4. Implementation
1. Interactive touch screen displays are all-in-one solutions. Most just require an outlet and internet connection. Your school’s maintenance and IT teams do not have to spend hours mounting projectors to the ceilings, screens to the walls, and making sure lengthy cords are tucked away to create a safe environment. Interactive whiteboards are easy and simple to implement into any classroom and have the capability to be shared between multiple rooms. Maintenance for these displays is virtually non-existent. By lessening the headache of installing complicated projection devices that oftentimes require IT support, you can cut down on related costs. The benefits of outfitting your school with TFT LCD interactive whiteboards include:

- - Easy installation
  - No replacing bulbs or filters
  - All-in-one solution
  - Increased reliability
  - Increased life-span
  - Lower energy consumption
  - Optional cart mount for sharing
  - Reduced maintenance costs

5. Easy to Use
1. Interactive whiteboards are often perceived as simple big-screen TVs. This makes teachers feel more comfortable using the new technology and simplifies the user experience. Teachers and students can write on them just like traditional whiteboards, but instead of using various dried out markers, they can use one digital pen or even their finger. Operating an LCD touch display has a similar feel to operating a personal tablet but on a larger scale. IT departments can provide brief overview training on how to utilize the boards, and from there most teachers feel comfortable exploring additional features on their own. Some interactive whiteboard manufacturers also offer their own training and guides on how to use the display. Interactive displays have many benefits over traditional projectors for teachers including:

- - Maximum teaching time without having to worry about tech issues
  - Uninterrupted lesson time
  - Increased viewability
  - Quiet learning environment when needed; fan-free operation
  - Bright LED backlighting allowing the classroom lights to be kept on so students can still see what they are writing
  - Resource sharing

Conclusion:

In conclusion, TFT LCD touch displays provide extensive benefits for students, teachers, and administrative teams. Implementing interactive whiteboards into your schools can increase classroom inclusion, as well as, student collaboration and engagement. They are also easy to implement and utilize. LCD displays are the key traditional education enhancement that will increase student success and provide greater classroom management for teachers. TFT displays come with many enhancements including but not limited to:

All Light Readability
Wide Temperature
Wide Viewing Cone
Wide Aspect Ratio
Large Format
Specialty Format

About E3 Displays:

When it comes to education, E3 Displays understands the importance of high-value dependable tools. This is why we help you create custom display solutions that fit all of your needs while excluding unnecessary features. This ensures you are gaining maximum value for your investment for years to come. E3 Displays has everything you need to develop and manufacture your custom touch display all in one place. With customer-centric solutions featuring strategic planning, competitive pricing, longevity, and support, we ensure the best products on the market to help you scale.

The post 5 Ways Interactive Touchscreen LCDs Are Increasing Student Success appeared first on E3 Displays.

Learn How Display Companies Are Helping Create Health Conscious Touchscreens

E3 Displays — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 22:22:37 +0000

The COVID-19 pandemic, commonly referred to as coronavirus, has made us all more aware of what we touch on a day to day basis. Over the past few years, many businesses and public services have implemented touchscreen displays to make the customers’ experience more efficient. touchscreens have been implemented in restaurants, doctor offices, banks, malls, grocery stores and many other businesses where human contact can be limited. While the main benefit of touchscreen displays during the coronavirus is clear, no face to face contact with another human being, there can still be negative consequences of using touchscreens that are not properly maintained. The hygiene and safety of touchscreens are becoming a huge concern.

The Daily Benefits of Touchscreen Use

Touchscreens are used to accelerate the speed of service for a business. They allow customers to serve or find information themselves and can prevent long queues and help with customer dissatisfaction. Touchscreens can make our lives more efficient and extend the capabilities of their applications. By eliminating traditional button displays, more compact modules with twice as many functions can be created. These compact modules are sleeker and aesthetically pleasing which can increase the value for consumer electronics. There are continuous improvements, software updates, and new features that can be made on your touch displays to adapt to changing needs.

How Touchscreen Technology Helps Limit the Spread of Infectious Diseases

Touchscreen displays are more sanitary than the traditional button and knob displays. Button displays attract dirt and moisture and harbor bacteria between the keys that make them more difficult to clear, which eventually causes certain functions to stop working. With touchscreens being one continuous surface, there’s less space for germs and bacteria to hide and duplicate. If proper disinfectants are used, touch displays are easier to clean and can help limit the spread of infectious diseases through touch. Touchscreens also limit face-to-face interactions, which is especially beneficial in situations where social distancing can and should be achieved. Touchscreens play a huge role in helping protect those who are considered high risk for falling ill and needing intensive care. While there are many benefits to touchscreens, there are concerns surrounding them when improperly maintained.

Hygiene Concerns Surrounding Touchscreens

In 2018, a study was reported by Metro UK. and was conducted by Dr. Paul Matewele, a senior professor in microbiology at London Metropolitan University. Dr. Matewele visited 8 different locations in the UK of a popular fast-food chain and swabbed their touchscreen ordering machines. All 8 ended up testing positive for various bacteria including fecal matter. This doesn’t mean that the displays were not cleaned or were designed in a poor manner. One problem may have been not using a strong enough disinfectant cleaner. Dr. Matewele’s study shows the concern of touchscreen displays even before the coronavirus pandemic had occurred.

What Kind of Bacteria are Found on Touchscreens

One of the common bacteria found on screens is Enterococcus faecalis (E. faecalis). These bacteria commonly end up on touchscreens when people do not wash their hands after using the bathroom. It occurs naturally in our stomachs and intestines, even if we are healthy. E faecalis is known for causing hospital-acquired infections. Another bacteria that is commonly found on touch displays is staphylococcus (staph). Staph infections are caused by bacteria that are typically found on our skin or in our noses. Staph bacteria can also be found in healthy individuals. A majority of the time, staph infections are relatively minor. However, some strains are becoming resistant to common antibiotics and are increasingly difficult to treat. Staphylococcus is known to cause food poisoning with symptoms developing and dissipating rather quickly. Once you touch a surface, like a touchscreen, those bacteria are on your hands and can then travel to whatever you touch after. Many touchscreen bacteria can be extremely contagious. Even if the infections are minor, people who are immunosuppressed are at risk of developing severe and sometimes fatal infections.

How Display Companies are Helping Create Health-Conscious Touchscreens

1. One of the main advantages of a touchscreen over traditional button displays is that it is one continuous surface. Manufacturing a touch display that is flush edge-to-edge is the first step in creating health-conscious touchscreen displays. This makes it difficult for bacteria to settle in hard to reach areas and makes it easier to clean.

2. Projective capacitive touchscreens allow for operational use without direct contact to the touch sensor. A user can interact with the touchscreen while using gloves or a stylus. This technology allows users to interact with touch displays to their maximum capacity while still protecting themselves and others from bacteria that may be on the screen.

3. Antimicrobial coatings can be manufactured on a touchscreen to kill or limit the growth of common bacteria.

4. If fixed-function buttons are required, a touch display can be manufactured where they are part of a single, uninterrupted glass surface. This will maintain functionality but still allow for easy cleaning.

5. In order to be user friendly, touch displays can be designed with dimples, grooves, and dials. The display glass remains unbroken but can be used by people with visual impairments.

How Businesses Can Help Keep Displays Safe and Clean

1. Disinfection Policies
1. Implementing written disinfection policies will help create a clean and healthy environment for customers and employees. It is important to educate employees on the danger of germs within their work environment. Disinfection policies will also help minimize employee sick days, keeping the business running.

2. Disinfection Products
1. Businesses should utilize non-toxic commercial-grade cleaning products. Commercial-grade cleaning products contain certain chemicals that kill various types of viruses on your touchscreen displays. These cleaning solutions are formulated to meet government safety standards.

3. Cleaning During Business Hours
1. To help limit the spread of surface bacteria, businesses must perform routine cleanings of their touchscreen displays and high contact surface areas. By scheduling regular wipe downs of high use surfaces throughout the workday, the risk is being limited to infection for employees and customers.

4. Customer Sanitation
1. By providing convenient centrally located sanitation stations you will encourage customers and clients to take part in limiting the spread of germs. Placement of sanitizer dispensers next to your touchscreen will also encourage customers to use before and after engaging with the display.

Conclusion

In conclusion, touchscreen technology not only makes our lives easier and more efficient, but they are more hygienic than traditional button displays. Buttons and knobs are common nesting places for bacteria and are difficult to reach when cleaning. It is important to take proper safety precautions such as washing your hands frequently and avoiding touching your face when using touch displays, especially during COVID-19. No surface or display screen is completely immune to bacteria. Touchscreens that are poorly maintained can attract harmful bacteria such as Enterococcus faecalis, staphylococcus, common cold, and flu viruses, as well as COVID-19. However, with proper precautions and sanitation measures, touchscreen displays can help limit direct contact with potentially infected persons. Business and display manufacturers can also do their part in limiting the spread of harmful bacteria. All businesses should implement sanitation policies and conduct a consistent thorough cleaning of their touchscreen displays and other high touch surfaces with commercial-grade cleaners. At E3 Displays, we produce flush edge to edge projected capacitive touch displays that are easy to clean and can be used with gloves or a stylus. Installation of antimicrobial films can also be added to limit the growth of bacteria and allow your touchscreen display to be cleaned with harsh chemicals without damaging the display itself. Touch displays are all around us and with these steps, we don’t have to sacrifice modern technology that makes our lives easier and more efficient.

About E3 Displays:

Ruggedization and dependability are needed for consumer and commercial touchscreen displays. E3 provides solutions that give your business more peace of mind during the coronavirus pandemic. With over 20 years of combined experience in display technology, E3 Displays can develop and manufacture your custom touch display all in one place. With customer-centric solutions featuring strategic planning, competitive pricing, longevity, and support, we ensure the best products on the market. E3 Displays can help by outfitting POS systems, mobile ordering devices, medical displays, and more with anti-microbial films to make them easier to clean and inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi. Projected Capacitive touchscreens, antimicrobial film enhancements, and proper sanitation are some of the most important steps in making touchscreens more hygienic. We are all part of limiting the spread but it can start at display manufacturing. Take the proper steps now during Covid-19 to ensure you are protecting all that may encounter your touchscreen display, now and in the future to come.

The post Learn How Display Companies Are Helping Create Health Conscious Touchscreens appeared first on E3 Displays.

How Interactive Displays Are Changing The Modern Workspace

E3 Displays — Tue, 05 May 2020 14:13:19 +0000

The progressions in today’s technologically advanced world are turning cubicles into coffee shops, centrally located offices into worldwide workspaces, and traditional board rooms into virtual collaboration spaces. Working from home brought the world by storm and now many companies are saying it will become part of their everyday culture, even after they’re allowed to return to the office. Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, has already notified Twitter and Square employees that they are free to work from home indefinitely. Many other major corporations are expected to soon follow suit.

So what does this mean for office spaces? How do business owners keep their employees intertwined with company culture and maintain consistent communication? The answer is, we look towards virtual collaboration spaces within offices and how interactive technologies such as wearables and smart spaces can aid the transition to our new norm.

Getting the Job Done: On the Go

Technology is becoming smaller and more user friendly, and the ability for consumers to perform business-related tasks on the go is increasing. Smartwatches can carry various apps and project managers that enable the user to upload documents and communicate with teams without having to be seated at a desk. They can also seamlessly integrate with a user’s desktop and cell phone making it easy to share information between devices. Studies have shown that another benefit of being able to freely move around and even have a standing desk increases productivity and overall employee health.

Wearables produce benefits for users not only in their personal lives but professional lives as well. When consumers rely on a smartwatch to essentially be their personal assistant they need a display with a battery life that will extend beyond business hours, durability that can withstand the most active lifestyles, performance in every environment including rain and extreme heat, and sleek professional design. This is why E3 Displays has been trusted to design and develop wearable devices for today’s remote professionals.

Bringing worldwide organizations together in one place…virtually

As more organizations transition to flexible workspaces, meeting rooms are changing. They are evolving from the traditional “boardroom” style with a long centrally located table with 20+ chairs surrounding it, to “smart” rooms outfitted with collaborative desks, interactive displays, as well as video and phone conferencing systems. Interactive displays, including “smart boards”, allow individuals to share information from their personal device to a centralized display, contain touch technologies for drawing and writing, screen sharing so remote employees can view collaboration in real-time, and much more! Interactive displays can bring both physically present and remote workers together through high definition video conferencing, so teams are not limited by their location and can have highly engaging and collaborative meetings from all over the world.

Interactive displays also benefit more than just employees. By having a collaboration platform, companies can communicate and strategize with clients across the globe, therefore cutting down on unnecessary travel costs and time traveling for a simple meeting that will only last a couple of hours. This will allow companies and clients to devote time and resources to producing results and acquiring new projects. Interactive displays from E3 with built-in video/audio capabilities, not only come with connectivity and sharing features but are optically bonded for increased durability and multi-touch capabilities. (To learn more about optical bonding click here) They also contain optical enhancements such as anti-glare, anti-smudge, and wide viewing angles to ensure all in-office team members can have an uninterrupted viewing experience. E3’s interactive displays bring employees together from near and far into a collaborative and efficient workspace.

PWC Transitioning to the Modern Workspace

In a survey of IT professionals, conducted in 2018 by Oblong Industries, 91% of the participants agreed, “engaging with data and information using interactive, immersive methods can help to solve complex business issues.” PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) proved this through their new collaborative workspace called ‘The Delta Room’, located in their Paris location. They incorporated interactive displays with built-in high definition video cameras in order to bring employees and clients together to drive project results in a more efficient way. The investment paid off within the first few months, enabling PwC to acquire new projects and build upon their credibility, efficiency, and reach. This goes to show that the investment of collaborative virtual workspaces can not only give employees the flexibility to work remotely but allow companies the opportunity to pursue projects that would otherwise be unattainable due to location restrictions.

SHARP and Window’s New Collaboration Interactive Display

SHARP has partnered with Windows to create the ultimate 70” collaboration interactive display for the commercial industry. The display which contains a high-quality built-in AI conferencing camera and an IoT sensor hub can be easily integrated into most smart offices and track things like lighting, temperature, humidity, motion, and air quality so facility managers can make cost-saving decisions about facility spaces and create the optimum working environment to maximize employee productivity. This state of the art interactive display from SHARP and Windows is the next step towards creating remote-friendly workspaces. E3 Displays is a partner of SHARP and can take their displays one step further by providing enhancements for specific work environments. We can provide projective capacitive touch enhancements which permits more accurate and flexible operation, projection of the touch-field through additional layers of material plus full multi-touch capability. The typical construction of a PCT technology sensor allows for operation without direct contact to the touch sensor. Thus the touch sensor can be located behind further insulating layers, and operate even under screen protectors, or behind weather and vandal-proof glass. We can also provide optical bonding. We chose to develop a family of custom adhesive formulations whose overall performance exceeds that of competing materials and are tailored to meet varied product requirements. After thousands of hours of development and testing, we created unparalleled adhesives in optical bonding which are application (and display) specific.

Traditional Vs. Virtual

There are many discussions on the pros and cons of encouraging a remote workforce and the pros and cons affect employers, employees, and clients. Let’s take a look at why a traditional work environment might be the preferred option. There is the argument that communication can be lost and in a work environment that already has lackluster communication levels, this can be detrimental to teams and even entire organizations. This is why it is extremely important to implement collaboration systems and interactive in-office displays so employers don’t lose touch with their employees and clients. As long as managers and team leaders are proactive in initiating and following through on virtual meetings, there is no reason why communication should be lost. In fact, by not having to gather everyone in one place, an organization can save on facility costs such as extra meeting space and utilities. Some would say that they lack the discipline to not be in the office, which is why companies who are offering indefinite work from home options are also still providing in-office space as well. There’s also the “bad” side of work-life balance. Sometimes employees who are not accustomed to working from home don’t have the ideal home office space and ritual. Everything takes getting used to and many employers are providing added support and communication channels for employees to become accustomed to the new culture.

The benefits of a flexible work environment curated with the right collaboration and interactive tools, far exceed any minor setbacks. According to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, “…a typical employer can save an average of $11,000 per half-time telecommuter per year.” This means that an organization with just 50 flexible employees can save an average of half a million dollars per year! Global Work Analytics uses different factors such as increased productivity, real estate costs, reduced absenteeism and turnover, and better disaster preparedness to calculate this amount. For employees, there is a positive work-life balance, reduced childcare costs, less time commuting so more time to produce results, lower commuting costs, and higher job satisfaction. Clients who work with a company that are prepared for and accustomed to interacting with people virtually through interactive technology can save on travel expenses for meetings that last for hours and save time not having to commute themselves.

Conclusion

There are many aspects to examine when contemplating a flexible work environment but the first step towards transitioning is equipping you and your team with commercial-grade interactive displays that will transform the way you communicate. Even if you make the decision that it is too early to transition to a virtual work environment, interactive displays can expand your reach with clients and increase their overall satisfaction. It can allow employees whose kids are sick or cars broke down into the office so they don’t miss out on project defining strategy sessions. Here at E3 Displays, we can help make sure your investment is nothing short of exceeding your standards through high definition imagery, wide viewing angles that cover the room, a brightness that reaches the last row, optical bonding that makes sure your display will grow with your company, and touch enhancements to make all users feel like they’re in the room with you.

About E3 Displays

E3 Displays is trusted to make commercial responsive display solutions from the first to the millionth touch. A commercial display should be cost-effective, while also providing optimum performance for your employees and your customers. A high-quality commercial display is vital to capture audience attention and increase operational efficiency. Our elite team will supply you with high-performance display solutions customized for your business and operational goals that can be easily integrated into an existing application or we can aid in the design of a completely new concept. At E3 Displays, we can help you transition the way you do work.

The post How Interactive Displays Are Changing The Modern Workspace appeared first on E3 Displays.

COMMERCIAL

E3 Displays — Sat, 01 Feb 2020 12:18:27 +0000

COMMERCIAL

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