A touch of magic

We have known and used mechanical switches and push buttons since childhood. A clear pressure point, a saturated clicking sound when actuated. We are used to this. But there are other ways, almost magical: A gentle touch is enough for capacitive switches. Have the mechanical ones had their day?

Capacitive switches perform their work completely free of wear and tear. Their mode of operation is fundamentally different from that of mechanical switches. There’s no stroke here. Nothing is moving. Simply touching the sensor area with the finger alters an electrical field. This touch then triggers a change of the switch state. All this happens without any pressure on the sensor. Wear and tear is therefore not an issue.