It has become increasingly common to see touch screens as the sole controls in many applications; such as in cars, industrial controls, healthcare/medical devices and in public spaces (e.g. airports, shopping centres, etc.). Whilst there are some benefits to touch screens over physical switches, in this blog we want to argue the case for the latter.
Safety
The biggest argument for physical switches is the increase of safety in controlling dangerous machinery. This is most evident in the case of interfaces in cars and other vehicles. Research undertaken in 2020 found that interacting with touch screen infotainment systems while driving slowed reaction times more than driving under the influence or texting.
Despite this, manufacturers like Tesla have added even more controls to the touch screens in their cars. Meaning that if you want to change your headlights or AC, for example, you’re forced to tap around on a screen and hope that you select the right option. In contrast, physical switches only require a quick glance or two to operate, and therefore allow you to keep your focus on the road.
If you are looking for components to take the place of touch screens in cars and other HMIs (human-machine interfaces), there is a wide variety to choose from. Rotary navigation modules are a great solution to control systems in cars such as climate, lights or radio, as they easily allow you to scroll through options by rotating the encoder, and make a selection with the push of a button.
And speaking of pushing a button, LED illuminated metal push switches are another great option for physical controls. These buttons can be customised with specific text (e.g. ‘start’, ‘stop’ ‘lights’) or symbols (e.g. hazard lights, fan, defrost), and the illumination allows you to see when the switch is in operation. Alongside this, LED indicators and pilot lights offer further signalling for systems and any faults that may occur.
Ease of Use
Another area that should be considered when discussing touch screens vs physical switches is the ease of use and accessibility. When a touch screen is working properly (i.e. good sensitivity and speed) it can be quite easy to use, and beneficial for people with limited strength/mobility in their hands as operation generally only requires a tap. However, if the user has cold or dry hands, or if they wash their hands often (e.g. in healthcare settings), touch screens become less responsive and therefore much harder to use. Moreover, the only way to get feedback from a touch screen to signify that it is working – other than by looking at it – is with tapping or beeping sounds that can quickly get irritating. And if the user is visually impaired, touch screens become essentially unusable.
Physical controls can offer a solution to these issues, as there are many options for switches that are simple to use. For instance, many switches offer LED illumination or tactile feedback to let the user know that they are working, even without directly looking at them. Physical switches can also be made in large sizes with bright colours and/or LED illumination to make them eye-catching for the user. One example of this is our range of gaming buttons that are easy to see and simple to use. Furthermore, physical controls won’t lose their sensitivity or slow down over time, as touch screens so often do.
It is also possible to order push buttons with braille on the actuator, so that visually impaired people can still use them (check out our customisation page for more info).
Aesthetics
One of the key selling points for touch screen devices is that they are aesthetically pleasing and allow for sleek and versatile design, as they consolidate multiple functions to a single interface. Whilst we can’t argue that touch screens look good, it is possible to achieve the same polished and modern look with physical controls.
Low profile switches with micro-travel (meaning the button doesn’t have to be pushed far down) are perfect for this, as they require little space behind a panel and don’t stick out far, so you can keep interfaces relatively flat.
If you want to be able to keep an element of the visual display that touch screens offer, you can choose programmable navigation modules like our RJS-SDE-2, which features a high-definition LCD display.
Summary
Touch screens are unlikely to fall out of popularity any time soon, and there is no denying that there are upsides to integrating them into your HMI. But, physical controls absolutely shouldn’t be discounted, especially where usability and safety is concerned. In fact, the use of touch screens within cars has become such an issue that the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) has announced that starting in 2026, new vehicles must return to physical controls for essential functions in order to receive a 5 star safety rating.
So, if you want to create a safe, accessible and aesthetically-pleasing HMI for your next project, speak to our Sales team today to find out how we can help!
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