Appliance Design - August 2008 - (Page 29)

SWITCHES onto a button world because it seemed to be the easiest means for implementing interactivity. But I think we have a more natural solution that is applicable to a broader range of products.” That said, Brown does not envision one technology forcing out the other in the future. “There are applications where touchscreens make sense, and there are applications where display keys make sense,” Brown says. “The two technologies will coexist.” United Keys will roll out its first product, a computer keyboard, later this year. The board will have nine oversized keys enabled with displays, and they will be clustered as a pod on the left side of the board. The first version will have monochrome displays and be aimed at early adopters and design engineers looking to experiment with a new solution. A subsequent version of the keyboard will be more tailored for consumer needs and will have four-color displays. It is scheduled for introduction next year. The company will also be producing a developer’s toolkit. Based on preliminary discussions with OEMs, Brown expects interest in display key technology to ignite once product designers become aware of its practical application and cost effectiveness. He says that, in a world with increasing product complexity, display key technology can simplify complex commands and make interactive products more engaging for the end user. “We are taking an interactive technology that had been highly specialized and very expensive and simplifying it so that it becomes economical enough to address applications in virtually any industry.” < Close up shot of the nine display keys on the United Keys keyboard. casino industry, which is currently moving away from standalone CPUs in electronic games to server-based systems. The interactivity provided by visual feedback on a tactile input device provides a new way to make selections in menus and sub-menus in computers. This could help eliminate the need for a computer mouse in situations where the use of a mouse is impractical or inconvenient, such as airline terminals, medical devices, retail POS machines, multi-functional copy/print machines, and more. Brown says that the use of display keys can also reduce input error rates in scenarios where information must be properly categorized, such as medical facilities or service call centers. The type of information conveyed on a display is virtually unlimited. A self-service retail POS machine using the display www.applianceDESIGN.com keys might have them show advertising while the user is waiting for a transaction to process. One banking firm exploring the technology envisions it as a way to promote financial services while its customers are using an ATM. Another obvious target area for display keys is the portable electronic device market, including cell phones and PDAs, where space constraints make the design of interfaces challenging. Naturally, touchscreen suppliers are pursuing all of those markets as well, offering a different approach to image-based interaction. For similar applications, touchscreens are a more expensive solution than display keys, Brown says, and most touchscreens don’t provide tactile feedback. “A lot of designers have tried to force a touchscreen solution applianceDESIGN August 2008 29 http://www.azettler.com http://www.azettler.com http://www.appliancedesign.com

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Appliance Design - August 2008 Contents Editorial Shipments/Forecasts News Watch Plastics Switches Noise & Vibration Control Joining New Products Design Marts Association Report: CEA Advertiser’s Index

Appliance Design - August 2008

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