David Lussey, Peratech CTO, awarded AV Technologist of the Year at the AV News Awards 2013

David Lussey, the CTO and co-founder of Peratech, was awarded AV Technologist of the Year at the AV News Awards 2013 held today at the Integrated Systems Europe event in Amsterdam. The award recognises an outstanding achievement by an individual in advancing AV technology, which in this case was for the field of Quantum Tunnelling Composites (QTC(TM) ) materials that David Lussey discovered and patented.

QTC(TM) technology that uses metallic and non-metallic filler particles combined in an elastomeric binder. When pressure is applied, the electrical resistance drops in proportion to the amount of pressure, which allows sophisticated Human Machine Interface (HMI) designs to be created that react to variations in pressure. QTC technology's unique properties enable it to be made into force sensitive switches of any shape or size typically using screen printing so that they can be as thin as 75 microns. QTC technology is also low power and interfaces can be designed with no start resistance so that without pressure, the switch draws no power and passes no current. QTC materials are so sensitive so they can be used to detect even very small changes due to compression, tension or other stresses.

Peratech has recently created a version of its QTC material called QTC Clear that is so thin and transparent that it can be used to make a new generation of touchscreens that have all the benefits of existing Resistive and Capacitive touch screen technologies but with none of their drawbacks. Touchscreens made using an ultrathin layer of QTC Clear material sandwiched under the top layer of glass of a screen are as sensitive to multi-touch as a Capacitive touchscreen but can be any size, do not involve complex designs challenges to overcome interference generated by an active matrix, and only draw current when touched.

Plus, being force sensitive, they can sense not only x and y input but also z, i.e. input interaction is now three dimensional. This will enable a whole new generation of lower cost, touchscreens to be created with innovative features and a new library of gesture controls. A major, multi-million dollar license deal with a Japanese manufacture has already been signed.

David Lussey, added, "I am honoured to receive this award which I share with the rest of the team at Peratech whose innovation and drive has been instrumental in developing QTC technology into a wide range of applications where it offers a sophisticated, solid state solution for switching and touch sensing."

Recent Awards

Winner - 2012 Technology Strategy Board SMART Award
Winner - 2011 Printed Electronics Award
Winner - 2011 British Engineering Excellence Award
Winner - 2011 Growing Business Award
Finalist - 2011 Elektra Award
Winner - 2012 Queens Award for Innovation