10.06.2020 | Reding time 4 minutes | CAPTRON Editorial

Shaking hands, hugs, kisses - what was considered a sign of politeness and affection just a few months ago has taken on a dull aftertaste since the Corona pandemic. People are still reluctant to make contact, even since the relaxation of contact restrictions. Although these traditional forms of greeting are not doomed to extinction according to experts, skepticism about touch is growing. Not without good reason: After all, according to the Federal Centre for Health Education, up to 80 percent of infectious diseases are transmitted via the hands. And according to an overview in the "Journal of Hospital Infection", corona viruses, for example, can be detected on surfaces for up to nine days.

Today, consumers are more aware than ever of the new everyday risks. This is not only evident in personal contact. The way we behave and move in public spaces is also changing: Instead of using the handle, leaning doors are pushed open with the foot, switches or traffic lights are operated with the elbow if possible. On public transport, people now wear gloves to buy tickets from the ticket machines, request a stop or open the doors.

Particularly in heavily frequented, publicly accessible areas, there is a growing demand for technologies that are as contactless as possible and that reduce the necessary contact with surfaces and thus the risk of infection to a minimum. Electronic buttons with touch function can play out their advantages here. A certain pressure is required to operate conventional mechanical buttons. Capacitive sensor buttons, however, are reliably depressurized by a light, short touch, even when wearing gloves.

The button creates a field in which it continuously measures the capacitance between its surface and the sensor environment. When a conductive object such as a hand approaches the sensor within this field, the capacitance increases and the switching operation is performed. Since the human body has a relatively high conductivity, even a glove does not disturb the functionality. In future, it will be possible to operate such electronic switches completely contact-free by increasing the sensitivity of the button.

Thanks to the high level of convenience for users, numerous transport companies, for example, are already using capacitive switches to operate switches in means of transport, indicator or signal lights without barriers. In addition, the intelligent technology in the electronic switches with touch function prevents unintentional switching, for example due to rain, frost or dirt. The button calibrates itself automatically to corresponding disturbance factors and the switching process is possible without any problem.

+ Contactless push buttons for public transport

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