In a recent nation-wide survey commissioned by touchscreen technology vendor Elo TouchSystems, nearly nine in 10 respondents expect touchscreens to become the standard way to perform tasks that involve interfacing with a computer.And while the study, conducted by market research firm Penn, Schoen & Berland, was targeted to understand the interface preferences of young adult consumers (18-34), it highlights how deeply touchscreen technology has penetrated general society since its introduction approximately 30 years ago.As a machine control interface, touchscreens also have an established presence in industry and all vendors, including Elo (which lays claim to inventing the technology), have a tremendous stake in how well-accepted and familiar the technology is to all users, whether in the industrial or consumer environment. The study results also support the notion that as some of those young adults turn into automation professionals, it's likely that when they encounter touchscreen control interfaces in the industrial setting the devices will present few, if any, ergonomic issues.
