3M Offers 10-Finger Touch Display at CES

3M shows off a 22-inch touch-screen display with 10-finger touch, designed for applications that require multiuser interactivity.

3M Touch Systems, a subsidiary of 3M and provider of touch-screen solutions, announced the 3M Display M2256PW, a 22-inch, high-definition, multitouch LCD display. Based on 3M Projected Capacitive Technology, the M2256PW display is designed for professional and prosumer (professional consumer) applications that need up to 10-finger touch input or multiuser interactivity with a fast response time.

Introduced in June 2009 at SID Display Week as the 19-inch 3M Multitouch Developer Kit, this technology offered software developers a "full multitouch" hardware platform. "Over the past six months software developers from around the world have been working with the 3M multitouch platform to develop exciting concepts for multi-touch applications," says Chris Tsourides, business unit manager, 3M Touch Systems.

The 3M Display M2256PW features a high-definition 1680 x 1050 LCD screen, DVI and VGA video input, audio input, USB and RS232 (serial) dual-mode communication protocol and durable, anti-glare front surface. The company said applications that can take advantage of this level of interactivity include computer aided design, digital signage, computer gaming, security monitoring systems, education and training, and teleconferencing. The M2256PW display is "compatible with Windows 7" so no third party touch drivers are required. For Linux and Windows XP/Vista/7 operating systems, 3M said it plans to offer a multi-touch driver and software utility, and will offer communication protocol documents for customers who wish to develop their own drivers.

Tsourides said by Uutilizing this new technology, software developers are able to revolutionize the way users interact with all types of information and to expand traditional touch interaction to include multiple users and increase collaboration. "Consumers and prosumers have come to expect multi-touch functionality in their everyday electronic devices," Tsourides says. "The release of the M2256PW display provides a technological leap in multi-touch interactivity, surpassing traditional two-finger multi-touch by providing full, 10-finger multi-touch capability."