| Touch technology is everywhere. Touch screen | | | | Companies like Electrolux and Crock Pot feature |
| kiosks, phones, GPS systems and even books can be | | | | control panels that appear "dark" and blank until |
| read using touch screen panels. Since touch | | | | touched to illuminate and reveal a bright and colorful |
| technology has been improving modern conveniences | | | | display allowing operation of all functions. The 6.5 |
| for several years now, it’s not surprising that we | | | | quart oval slow that cooker by eLume is called the |
| would soon find touch technology in our kitchens. | | | | eLume Programmable Slow Cooker, has a touch |
| These latest talked about kitchen appliance are touch | | | | screen user interface. Features include a countdown |
| screen crock pot, ovens and dishwashers. | | | | control panel and an auto-shift to warm function. |
| How Capacitive Touch Screen Panels Work | | | | From ovens, to microwaves, dishwashers, warmers |
| Without ever touching a touchpad itself, the electric | | | | and even a touch panel barbeque a person’s |
| sensors can activate operations and functions with | | | | entire kitchen can now be accessed completely |
| fingertips just hovering over the surface. | | | | "hands free." |
| In order for the capacitive technology to function, it | | | | Before all the recent attention was drawn to iPhones, |
| must be touched by something else that also exhibits | | | | capacitive touch technology was considered too |
| electricity- like the human body. When a person’s | | | | expensive and delicate to use in most |
| finger touches a capacitive screen, it sends an | | | | consumer-related touch screen products like grocery |
| electric current to then form a mathematical function | | | | store check out kiosks or toys. The resistive touch |
| which signals an action. A capacitive touch screen | | | | technology – a more durable technology was and |
| panel is coated with a thin indium tin oxide material | | | | still is widely used for touch that most of us often |
| that conducts continuous electrical currents across a | | | | see and are affected by objects like a stylus pen or |
| sensor- like when a finger touches the | | | | physical pressing onto a button which signals the |
| appliance’s interface surface. It will exude a | | | | resistive screen. Now, thanks to the popularity of |
| controlled electronic field in both a vertical and | | | | capacitive sensors, we could see an increase in |
| horizontal axis and therefore is capacitive. | | | | factory production of capacitive sensors, thus |
| Advances in touch technology helps busy cooks in | | | | reducing the cost of capacitive touch technology. |
| the kitchen touch the screen without actually | | | | Much like the remote control has forever changed |
| touching it. Instead of getting hands messy and | | | | the way we watch T.V., looking back years from |
| getting knobs and appliance surfaces gummy- the | | | | now; consumers will laugh at how we once had to |
| touch screens can sense touch up to three inches | | | | physically turn knobs and dials to function our |
| away. | | | | appliances. |