The Beginnings of the Touch Panel
First appearing in the 1980s, touch panels evolved through a number of transitional phases, and were gradually incorporated into products for business and entertainment.
When first marketed, touch panels were widely used as control devices for stationary terminals such as FA systems, medical equipment, and POS units. After that, they were adopted in PCs running Windows 95, launched in 1995, and information terminals such as PDAs, which appeared in 2000. Later, they became mainstream through the shift to mobile terminals. Today we have many chances to use touch screens in consumer products like smartphones and tablet computers, and applications like automotive navigation systems and digital signage.
A quarter of a century has passed since the appearance of touch panels, and they are at work in a variety of products as a familiar input device. Commodification as a daily necessity is progressing, and products are taking on forms enabling easy operation by anyone using a touch panel.
The Aim is Performance in Terms of Quality
The display is the face of a product. We are very demanding about performance precisely because a touch panel is attached to the front of the display. Our products make commitment to performance a reality. Touch panels made by Gunze are devices that enhance the abilities of designers. We propose products at a higher level, closer to the ideal, which don't compromise the sophisticated ideas or inspiration of the products designers conceive.