Ultra Sensitive Touch Sensor Can Operate Through Steel Or Glass

A new technology is in the works, the QTC Ultra Sensor and it could revolutionise touch control surfaces and input for years to come.

The UK company Paratech has created an ultra sensitive touch sensor, which is capable of responding to light touches though a piece of steel or glass, where as most modern sensors can do the same, they require the materials to be much thicker and in most cases, they also require more force to be applied.

David Lussey, CEO of Paratech had announced the new sensor is so sensitive that even if it were mounted behind a 0.1mm stainless steel or a .05mm glass sheet, it would still be able to detect the light pressure from the finger registering on the top of either sheet.

Paratech says that the QTC Ultra Sensor can be fitted as a small piece of QTC sheeting or even screen printed on the back of steel plating, leaving almost endless design possibilities for the technology. Not only that but the system will also work on anything from plastic, glass, wood, or just about anything that would provide enough flex to activate the switch, keep in mind that if steel and glass can flex enough, there shouldn’t be too many things out there that post an issue.

The QTC material used in the switch uses nano particles of conductive material in a non-conductive polymer, apply force and the particles move to allow a flow of electrons between the particles, an effect known as Quantum Tunnelling, making QTC the technology chosen to make the world’s thinnest switch, which is just a few microns thick.

Impressive indeed, but what applications it gets used in first remains to be seen.

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