Monthly Archives: October 2016

Google’s Jamboard large touch screen is using metal mesh or silver nanowire

October 28, 2016

This week, Google announced its 55 inch touch display named Jamboard. Touch Display Research believes the Jamboard’s touch screen is using metal mesh or silver nanowire.

Touch screen with ITO-replacement is gaining momentum for >50” sizes category.

3M showed 55-inch touch table with metal mesh touch screen.

C3Nano demonstrated 55-inch silver nanowire transparent conductor touch display.

Microsoft has released their 55-inch and 84-inch interactive Surface Hub that can sense both finger touch and active pen.

In the ITO Replacement—Non-ITO Transparent Conductor Technologies, Supply Chain and Market Forecast 2016 Report, sixth edition, Touch Display Research analyzed over 240 companies and research institutes working on advanced transparent conductive (TC) materials. The report provides a detailed analysis of metal mesh, silver nanowire, carbon nano tube (CNT), conductive polymer, graphene, and other technologies. Figure here is the comparison of several transparent conductors.

Figure: ITO replacement comparison chart

ITO replacement compare with TDR2016

Source: Touch Display Research Inc., ITO-Replacement Report, 2016

Touch Display Research forecasts that the ITO-replacement market will reach $13 billion by 2023. The ITO-replacement industry has made good progress in the touch panel and other applications in the past two years. However, not all companies are growing and you need to be very selective. The specifications of over thirty metal mesh suppliers are compared side-by-side in one chart in the Excel database.

Touch Display Research forecast that ITO-replacement will become the major transparent conductor for touch panels after 2021. ITO will be the minor transparent conductor for touch panels.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Jennifer Colegrove and team

Tesla will use more than 21 sensors for advanced driver assistant system

October 20th, 2016

This week, Tesla announced that all Tesla vehicles produced in their factory – including Model 3 – will have the improved sensors for full self-driving capability.

Beginning with vehicles manufactured in late 2014, all new Tesla Model S vehicles come equipped with a camera mounted at the top of the windshield, forward looking radar, and ultrasonic sensors in the front and rear bumpers.

Triggered by the deadly accident in this May, Tesla’s CEO, Mr. Elon Musk, indicated that Tesla will update the Autopilot in end of September/early October to Autopilot 8.0. They’ll change the camera-as-the-primary-technology ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistant System) to radar-as-the-primary-technology ADAS.

Touch Display Research believes Tesla’s radar-as-the-primary ADAS still needs camera in it, since radar can’t detect the traffic light color, nor pained lines for lanes. Camera is still necessary in the ADAS.

This week, Tesla announced they’ll integrate more than 21 sensors for their cars:  8 surround cameras provide 360 degree visibility around the car. 12 updated ultrasonic sensors complement this vision, allowing for detection of both hard and soft objects. A forward-facing radar with enhanced processing capable of seeing through heavy rain, fog, dust and even the car ahead.

To process all the data collected from the 21 sensors, Tesla also upgraded their new onboard computer with more than 40 times the computing power of the previous generation.

The automotive industry’s adoption of new technologies has accelerated in the past couples of years. ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistant Systems) includes many features. The top 3 most popular/critical features are automatic emergency braking, pre-collision warning, and blind-spot warning.

Figure 1. Automotive innovations: touch, display, ADAS and touchless human-machine-interaction

automotive-scope-figure-3

Source:  Automotive touch, display, ADAS and touchless 2016 report, Sept 2016, Touch Display Research Inc. Drawing credit: Parrot

In the recently published “Automotive touch, display, ADAS and touchless HMI 2016 report,” Touch Display Research Inc., a market research and consulting firm, analyzes automotive touch screen, display, ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistant System), and touchless human-machine-interaction (HMI).

Touch Display Research forecasts the overall automotive touch, display, ADAS and touchless HMI market will grow from $15 billion in 2017, to $60 billion in 2023.

Figure 2. Automotive touch, display, ADAS and touchless HMI revenue forecast

automotive-forecast-2016

Source: Automotive touch, display, ADAS and touchless 2016 report, September 2016, Touch Display Research

Currently ADAS feature is optional in many high-end cars, and we believe it will quickly become a must for many new buyer. By 2022, ADAS will become standard in most American cars. The $60 billion opportunity will be gobbled by over 500 companies, which include approximately 100 automotive companies, approximately 200 touch screen companies, over 200 touchless human-machine-interaction (HMI) companies and approximately 30 display companies.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Jennifer Colegrove and team

SEMI FLEX Singapore 2016 Conference is very successful

October 11, 2016

I just returned from the SEMI FLEX Southeast Asia 2016 Conference, at the beautiful Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. It’s a very successful conference with all seats sold out several days before. This is my first time to visit Singapore. It’s my honor to meet some of you in person.

Figure 1. The Marina Bay Sands is a spectacular architecture that combines hotel, exhibition & conference center, shopping center and casino.

marina-bay-sands

Photo by: Touch Display Research Inc.

The president of SEMI Southeast Asia, Mr. NG Kai Fai gave a welcome speech at the opening ceremony.

Figure: SEMI Southeast Asia’s Mr. NG Kai Fai gave welcome speech

semi-flex-kai-faisemi-flex-opening-people

Photo by: Dr. Jennifer Colegrove, Touch Display Research.

On behalf of Touch Display Research, I gave an invited presentation on flexible display and flexible touch: technologies and market forecast.

Figure: Dr. Jennifer Colegrove’s presenting slide

flexible-curved-slide

Source: Touch Display Research

This conference also have many exhibitors. More analysis and review of the SEMI FLEX Southeast Asia 2016 Conference can be found in the “Touch and Emerging Display” October monthly report.

Thanks for reading,

Dr. Jennifer Colegrove and team