Touchscreens are increasingly becoming an important part of our daily lives. They are everywhere: in our cars, homes, pockets, workplaces, restaurants, airports etc. The advantages are clear and touch surfaces help us save time performing tasks flexibly and efficiently. Many public services use them as a key part of their service solutions – touchscreens help businesses optimize their systems and save money on employee costs.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues, there has been a lot of discussion about the hygiene of touch surfaces. Despite the advantages of the touch interfaces, this pandemic has surely affected our impression of them as well as our eagerness to use touch controls. There are some reports that says public touchscreens are furthering the spread of bacteria, but there is a bit more to it than that. Here are some thoughts on using touchscreens safely:
- The touchscreen technology we use (PCAP = projected capacity) responds to the touch of a glove or a stylus. This minimizes the chance of catching the virus or bacteria and prevents spreading it.
- Smooth glass surface is very easy to clean. Regular cleaning and disinfection are crucial in maintaining proper hygiene.
- In situations where fixed function keys are necessary, solutions can be implemented in which the keys are part of a single smooth glass surface, which again helps with cleaning and is definitely better than physical buttons.
- Touchscreen can eliminate the need for face-to-face interaction or at least help maintain social distancing during the pandemic time.
- Our SENSE interactive touch window can be protected against bacteria and other germs with special antibacterial coating. It’s called Total Protect™ and it has a bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal effect, destroying gram positive and gram-negative bacteria, viruses and fungi. The scientifically proven protection provided is long-lasting and can only be removed mechanically, meaning there is less need for surface disinfection. We have tested this particular product on our glass surfaces and it has proven to be very efficient in fighting germs.
- You can use our products to provide sanitizing options and reminders about hand washing for users as a part of a solution
- Future: what will the future look like? Can we design touchscreens that are self-cleaning? How about touchless touch? Will see what the future holds.
There’s really nothing we can do to entirely stop germs from spreading. Germs are both in the air and on surfaces. However, there are several things which can reduce spreading virus and bacteria. Regular cleaning inpublic spaces and personal hygiene are the most important things – remember wash or sanitize your hands after using a touchscreen. When touchscreen solutions are smartly implemented and regular cleaning is made carefully, we do see them as a great asset.
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