The accuracy and quality of acoustic sensor devices will improve.

Touch devices are widely utilized across various sectors, including industry, medicine, defense, and consumer electronics. They offer a functional and convenient way to input information. However, when used in harsh environments—such as in machine manufacturing, agricultural machinery, or railway technology—these touch screens face challenges from high temperatures, humidity, dust, and mechanical stress, which can lead to malfunctions. As a result, there is a growing need for innovative approaches not only in the design of new touch devices but also in the development of their computational systems. Researchers at Perm Polytechnic University have created an effective method for designing the computational system of a touch device that employs sound waves to accurately identify touch points. This approach enhances the device's reliability, response speed, and precision, even under challenging operating conditions.

2024-12-16 10:00:16https://naked-science.ru/article/column/tochnost-i-kachestvo-rabo

The article was published in the journal "Vestnik PNIPU. Electrical Engineering, Information Technologies, Control Systems."

The primary function of touch devices is to determine the point of contact on the screen, similar to how our smartphones operate. However, when applying similar technologies in harsh industrial environments—such as manufacturing, chemical laboratories, agriculture, and the management of various machinery—these devices are subjected to various weather conditions, chemicals, temperature, humidity, and dust. These factors can lead to malfunctions in touch equipment and incorrect operation.

Therefore, to utilize them in such environments, innovative algorithms and models for identifying the point of contact on the screen must be developed to ensure specified localization accuracy and high device performance.

Scientists at Perm Polytechnic are working on creating a device that identifies the touch location by capturing sound waves traveling across the surface of the touch screen. The computational system is one of the most critical components of its effective functioning. The polytechnic team proposes an efficient method for its development, enabling the entire device to operate reliably in various aggressive environments.

Similar acoustic devices that rely on sound detection from a touch do not provide the necessary accuracy in determining the point of contact. The accuracy is either insufficient, or the system is overly sensitive, leading to false triggers and errors in identifying the coordinates of the touch point.

“The stages of creating our computational system include analyzing the conditions under which the touch screen will be used (indoor, outdoor, at sea, in a desert), as well as the permissible size of the device, the required accuracy, and speed of operation. Based on this information, suitable materials that do not absorb sound waves are selected, and the speed of sound in these materials is calculated,” shared Alexey Kozyin, a graduate student and assistant at the Department of Automation and Telemechanics at PNIPU, the main developer of the touch device and its computational system.

During the screen modeling, the polytechnic researchers identified the optimal placement of devices that register sound. By positioning them in the inactive part of the sensor (at the edges), the localization accuracy of the touch point reaches 100 percent.

The method proposed by the scientists for developing the computational system takes into account all necessary parameters—dimensions, screen material, touch localization accuracy, response speed, and sensitivity.

“We use a comprehensive approach that includes the development of a mathematical model for the functioning of the touch device, creating a method for localizing the touch point, computer simulation, software implementation for the controlling microcontroller, and conducting experiments on a prototype,” explains Vladimir Freiman, a professor at the Department of Automation and Telemechanics at PNIPU, Doctor of Technical Sciences, and the project's scientific supervisor.

The method developed by PNIPU scientists can be effectively applied to create computational systems for acoustic touch devices across a wide range of applications. Its implementation enhances the reliability, speed, and localization accuracy of the sensor in challenging operating conditions. This development may find demand in industrial enterprises in the Perm region and beyond, particularly attracting the interest of PJSC "PNPPK."