Touchscreens Explained

Touchscreens allow you to control cool gadgets by moving and tapping your finger on a screen. Have you ever wondered how these screens work?

Believe or not, under the surface of a touchscreen device there are thousands of tiny wires, each much smaller than a human hair, that form a grid.

Each wire has a tiny electrical signal flowing through it. As you move your finger near a particular wire its signal changes a tiny bit. Touchscreen devices can detect this small change to know exactly which wires your finger is near.

The touchscreen has a special chip that translates the electrical signals from the wire grid into a position on the screen, allowing you to scroll your finger, tap a button and more. Amazingly enough, you're controlling the device without actually touching anything other than its surface.

Tags: tech