For the love of Touch
5th June 16 17:30 IST
Avikalpa Kundu
One of the primary facets of human interaction is touch.
So it becomes an obvious choice for technology to use this form of Human interaction. That is the main idea of touch screens. Using Touch to program one's environment is fantastic as you can interact with the program using touch.
Well, We as a civilization haven't got there yet. Touch is great. But most importantly touch is natural.
Thus, I began my pursuit to find the best touch experience for people like me, people who love to make new things.
My journey began. I wanted the best touch experience on HackPOD. The myriad of smartphones already have them. Good for me. The journey should be short.
But
It wasn't.
Because from iphone to Galaxy S7
- Displays are not suitable to run through a MCU. No even 32-bit 216 MHz overclocking would cut it.
- I could've added a custom GPU like the SmartGPU 2 but it defeats the Affordability and Usability perspective.
So, I needed a custom LCD where makers can smoothly experience the Touch.
GPU powering may sound cool but it is unimportant. Hence unnecessary. And makers don't want them. Those who do want GPU can make apps for smartphones. This is easier for them.
HackPOD does not have a CPU or a GPU. CPU/GPUs are meant for in screen computers, not programming the environment. They are terrible when it comes to out screen tasks.
For example, the Raspberry Pi is not favored over the Arduino. They are different beasts and HackPOD aims to be on the Arduino side.
Now
On the Arduino side we have a serious problem on the availability of LCDs. The companies from Shenzhen that produce LCDs want them to be used in smartphones. That's their target audience. Maker market is too small for them to actually consider their problems.
After researching for about 3 months, we decided to go for the highest quality display that is available for the makers. And we optimized it on the HackPOD.
Truly speaking the HackPOD's LCD is like that of the 1st Gen of Android phones. But unlike Android, the hardware is top notch for the makers because HackPOD does not need to run an OS. And the experience is smooth.