Atmel (Who?) to Debut Flexible Touch Display

Atmel Corporation, a public company that’s traded on NASDAQ with symbol ATML but is little known in the AV industry, yesterday announced that it is sending out beta samples of what the company call XSense — a highly flexible, film-based touch sensor (in other words, a touch-panel technology that so flexible you can roll it up). Atmel says that XSense touch sensors will not only enable a new generation of smartphones and tablets, but also extend touch capabilities into a wider array of new consumer and industrial products. Since Atmel is a publicly traded company, you have to lend it credence as they’d be in trouble if they exaggerated something as big as this!

Based on a proprietary roll-to-roll metal mesh technology, XSense touch sensors provide a high-performance alternative to existing touch sensors. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) will now be able to develop larger, lighter, sleeker, curved and edgeless designs for smartphones, tablets, Ultrabooks and a host of new touch-enabled products. XSense touch sensors are optimal for a wide range of touch screen products, enabling thinner sensor stacks with superior performance and excellent optical clarity. With such advantages as flawless touch performance, enhanced noise immunity, low sheet resistance and low power consumption, designers will now be able to turn unique touch-based concepts into functional designs at lower total system costs compared to current market alternatives.

The company also sees this as something that will transform the large screen market as well. So, flesible touch screen digital signage and HDTVs may be sooner on the horizon than we thought!

Here are all the details on the technology: http://www.atmel.com/Microsite/xsense/default.aspx