News

Digital signage furniture: Multitouch tech enhances interactive tables

Interactive tables encourage social interaction with multitouch technology in the home-and-leisure environment.

December 12, 2014

Touch sensor product developer and manufacturer Zytronic, with the assistance of its French distributor, Eurocomposant, has secured ongoing business with interactive furniture producer HUMElab, the company has announced. The company is now producing ultra-durable p-cap sensors for a series of multitouch table products, targeted for use within home, restaurant and hospitality settings, the company said.

According to Zytronic, HUMElab required the touch sensors supplied for this project to meet a number of criteria: First, the sensors needed to withstand the stresses associated with high-use public areas, be low maintenance and easy to clean, while still maintaining accurate multitouch responses. Second, the sensors needed to be aesthetically pleasing and fit comfortably into high-end luxury environments. 

Combining high-end furniture with Zytronic's multitouch solutions, each HUMElab TABATA table incorporates a large-format, HD, touch-enabled display. The displays enable users to carry out a wide range of functions, such as playing complex multi-user games, ordering food, surfing the Web and connecting with friends via social media, etc.

Supplied to HUMElab in 22-, 32- and 42-inch formats, each sensor features customized printed borders with sleek polished edges, offering a bezel-free design. The displays' antiglare, thermally toughened 4 mm and 6 mm glass allows for readability in all light conditions, while it protects the sensing elements from environmental and physical damage.

"Zytronic's touch sensors were chosen because of the fluidity of their touch response and the 40 simultaneous touch points that they can support," HUMElab International Sales Director Armand Menargues said in the announcement. "The sensors also showed themselves to have other advantageous qualities in terms of maintenance as there is no need to calibrate the system anything like as often as with the previous solution we used."

Zytronic's PCT technology is manufactured using a micro-fine metal matrix of sensing elements (only 10 microns in diameter) embedded into a laminated substrate. The technology allows recognition of complex gestures as well as enabling up to four people to operate the sensor at the same time, sharing the immersive experience.

"There were a number of key criteria that had to be met for this project," Zytronic Sales and Marketing Director Ian Crosby said in the announcement. "Firstly HUMElab required a solution that could deliver exceptional multitouch detection. By being able to determine multiple touch points simultaneously, everyone around the touch table can participate and enjoy shared involvement. This needed to be backed up by both responsiveness and accuracy of the touch sensor, plus support for a sleek, eye-catching exterior. We were able to present HUMElab with a solution that surpassed their expectations on all of these points."