Touchscreen technology is evolving fast. There are constantly new innovations meant to entice consumers to a new product and new methods available to help save manufacturers money when they build devices that use touchscreens. From entertainment to gaming to industrial uses, touchscreen technology may only be in its adolescence.

The history of the touchscreen begins with the resistive touchscreen; a relatively durable screen that registered the contact between two layers of glass. The pressure of a finger or a stylus made contact happen and the screens were fairly rudimentary. They’re still used today, although higher resolutions are available than ever before, and they’re commonly seen on kiosks, Interac machines, barcode scanners, and more. The capacitive touchscreen became ubiquitous with the smartphone, but today there are even more exciting things happening.

#1 Capacitive Touchscreen Group Controllers

Not all touchscreen innovations are making consumers’ jaws drop, but this one is definitely catching the attention of OEMs and systems integrators. The cost of developing and integrating unique controllers to fit different sizes of capacitive touchscreens has long been a major barrier for OEMs. It comes with sizeable design costs and sizable inventory costs for manufacturers. Buying your controllers from the same supplier as your touchscreens is an easy way to get guaranteed compatibility, but one manufacturer has taken that to the next level. Group controllers from A D Metro simplify design costs for capacitive touchscreens in a number of different sizes. It’s a patented technology that brings products to market faster. Manufacturers who use A D Metro’s group controllers have a competitive edge, cutting costs and getting to market before their rivals.

#2 Better In-Flight Entertainment

Better touchscreens on airplanes have long confounded airlines trying to improve their in-flight entertainment systems. The air pressure of being that high up means that resistive touchscreens are a must, but one of the latest news and developments in touchscreen technology has been more reliable in-flight entertainment systems with better screens.

British Airways has introduced a new system that can handle heavier traffic when everyone tries to enter at once, and the screens are bigger and better. Better screens in airplanes are a major milestone for airlines wanting to improve the customer experience.

#3 Touchscreen Headphones

Smart headphones are headed into new territory with the launch of Debussy smart headphones that don’t require a connection to any device. Wireless and cordless headphones work conveniently with smartphones, even if they don’t have a jack, but soon connecting to a device won’t be necessary at all. Debussy smart headphones are set to have their own touchscreen displays on the earcups, allowing users to scroll through playlists and set a custom cover when they’re being born. They also look a lot better than an attempt earlier this year to do something similar with Vinci headphones.

With touchscreens changing all the time, keep a close eye on what’s new and competitive. Touchscreen technology is a long way from maturity yet, and you can expect to see them in new sectors, while sectors that already use them will be undergoing some major improvements in future years.