Transparent screens made clear

By Stefano Rosato | 21 February 2024

See-through TV screens may have been all the rage at this year’s CES in Las Vegas, and we have to admit, we’re fans. But, for us, the excitement lies in all the possible ways this technology can be used in our world of displays.

As you’re no doubt aware, a see-through or transparent electronic display allows the user to see what is shown on the screen while still being able to see through it. It’s an emerging market that has many potential uses and cell phones or tablets are the immediate choices that spring to mind. In augmented reality, for example, a tablet with a see-through display could the street onto the screen – like a real-time Google Street View.

A device using a transparent display will have much higher resolution and will therefore the display will be far more realistic than video augmented reality, which takes video, adds its own supplement to it, and then displays that onto the screen. Surely, it’s simpler to display the addition onto the see-through screen instead?

See through monitor 606x470px

Other important applications for this type of display are in head-up displays, digital signage, and general large-scale spatial light modulation.

The 10.1” monitor with a transparent TFT in this picture, for example, offers many excellent benefits. It’s equipped with a Multitouch PCAP which will recognise up to 10 fingers, has a GG (Glass-Glass) structure, which makes the stack thin and light, and 1.8mm coverglass for reliability and a long life.

Clarity and brightness

The built-in TFT panels have a brightness of 200 cd/m², a contrast ratio of 800:1 and a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels for clear image display. The viewing angles of 85° from all directions are generous and ensure optimal visibility.

And ease of control

Essentially, it’s a transparent Android Tablet. Albeit one with a powerful Rockchip Cortex A55 Quad Core, 2G DDR3 RAM, Micro SD up to 128Gb and WIFI. It can, of course, play fancy videos, pictures and sounds, but you can place real objects behind the transparent TFT, then make them visible or hidden just by simply pressing on the touchscreen.

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About Author

Stefano Rosato - Director, Technical Touch Technology at Avnet

Stefano Rosato is director of technical touch technology in the Display Solutions team at Avnet. Stefano helps customers solve touch challenges and supports customers through the whole design-in phase for touchscreen integration. With deep knowledge about PCAP technology, along with its design-in rules, tuning and pattern designs, Stefano is a leading expert in the touchscreen industry.Read More

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