Elo TouchSystems invented touch and has been providing solutions to a number of markets including the gaming and amusement industry ever since. Helen Fletcher spoke with Marcel Oelen, managing director of Suzo Happ in Europe, distributor of Elo's products

The manufacturing of touchscreen-enabled displays on all kinds of devices is now widespread and, as you would expect, touchscreen hardware and software has significantly improved to the point where its reliability is unquestionable.

"As a leader in touch innovation Elo TouchSystems keeps enhancing its technologies," said Oelen. "One milestone in the development of touchscreens in the gaming industry was the introduction of Elo’s SAW technology in its iTouch touch-on-tube product for CRT monitors in 1999 and the benefits of the technology are still recognised today."

The latest development from Elo is APR - acoustic pulse recognition - which is now rolled out across the entire range of gaming machines and combines the benefits of all other major touch technologies and all glass technology that also works with a fingernail wave and features excellent dragging performance like capacitive. APR is also impervious to liquids and offers true flat screen capability, making it ideal for use in bar top applications, among many others.

At this year’s IGE show held in London, in January, Elo introduced the new 2240L wide-aspect open-frame touchmonitor, which is designed specificially with casino and amusement applications in mind. Some of its features include high quality LCD with an ultra-wide viewing angle of 178 by 178 degrees and 300 nits brightness, slim outline dimensions of 500 by 332 by 80mm, and a choice of innovative touch options including APR, IntelliTouch SAW, capacitve and non-touch.

For Oelen touchscreen technology naturally allows games to "come alive" and to work in "deeper levels." "Touchscreen provides a number of benefits to the gaming industry," he said. "It gives flexibility and allows the game developer more creative freedom - games can be continuously improved while cabinets do not need to be redesigned as frequently."

For Oelen the sheer growth of multigames using touchscreen technologies and the corresponding increases in cashbox takings underlines the value in investing in touchscreen technology. "Touchscreen technology is an integral part of our industry," he said. "It has allowed game developers to further concentrate on making winning games and has allowed players even more game entertainment.

"The technology that was traditionally embedded in casino slots is now becoming more prevalent in AWP markets - and the speed at which the German and Polish markets moved to touchscreen underlines this," he continued. "Therefore we forecast touchscreen will make further significant impacts in the AWP markets."