Innovative PolyTC® touchsensors integrated into smart decorated HMI surfaces

Human Machine Interfaces (HMI) of electronic devices are currently undergoing significant changes. Followed by the trend of using smart phones for „everything“, nearly all electronic devices show significant changes in the user interface. In industries such as automotive, white goods or consumer electronics, the displays become touchscreens, the mechanical buttons become capacitive touch buttons and even gesture control is reality. This trend also includes significant change in the surfaces, as they are becoming seamless, large and more and more 3D shaped. Printed Silver and PEDOT based transparent conductive films enable this trend as they are flexible, with high conductivity and high optical performance. They can be integrated together with decoration to glass and plastic surfaces in flat, curved or 3D shapes. Besides the trends and the technology, also showcases of different industries such as automotive and white goods are presented, as well as the ideas how they will further develop along the roadmap.