Touch Displays and the SpaceX Dragon

Yesterday marked the glorious day that SpaceX gave us a sneak peek video of what we can expect to see inside their Dragon free flying spacecraft. Aside from the beautifully crafted modern interior designs we have come to expect from an Elon Musk creation, it was hard not to notice the brilliant touch displays that made up the control panels. In the two videos below, you can get an idea of how the touch displays will help future pilots inside the SpaceX Dragon navigate the craft.

We have all seen sci-fi films that depict astronauts using touch displays inside spacecrafts but only up until recently has touch technology been able to provide a more streamlined solution to build upon. Touch display technologies are now beginning to introduce more advanced versions of their earlier predecessors with developments in features such as pressure detection and in-glass designs.

 Display Pressure Detection

Pressure detection gives users the ability to add various degrees of touch commands by simply adding more force behind their touch. This feature now opens the door for more expressive ‘realtime’ gestures along with the ability to customize software user interfaces. Something that an astronaut inside the Dragon would surely appreciate.

In-Glass Display Technology

In-glass technology for touch screens is another huge leap forward. Touch displays are no longer dependent on IR sensor frames that run along the outside of the displays. Now with the introduction of in-glass technology, engineers are now free to create designs that feature an embedded display as well as giving the users the freedom to take advantage of the edge to edge design when they swipe content / information off screen. This feature also allows for less performance lag and with its 4k picture quality, makes for an even clearer picture. It will be interesting to see how SpaceX and their Dragon spacecraft utilize such features.

Astronaut Glove

Another touch display technology that is now available is the Glove Feature. This feature gives the user, in this case an astronaut, the ability to get the same touch performance out of the display while their hand is safely secured inside a glove.

We look forward to seeing more of the SpaceX Dragon and cannot wait for specs to be released. The future is bright! Cheers to SpaceX.

Contact Volanti Displays

For more information on how touch displays can help you and your next project feel free to contact Volanti Displays.

Office: 408.579.1620
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