Interactive Flat Panels (IFPs), also known as "smart boards," or "interactive whiteboard(IWB)" combine two already effective tools to create a uniquely useful device that can improve your teaching or presenting.  

An Interactive Flat Panel or "smart board" uses Infrared or Capacitive touch sensors to allow touch input similar to that of a whiteboard, while also including a  LED screen and a connection to a digital environment to provide unique and useful options for teaching and presenting.

There's more to the story about the software and the various capabilities of a smart board, and it's worth learning more about how they work in order to make the best decision when considering an IFP. Let's start with the technology of Interactive Flat Panels before delving into the unique benefits they provide.

How Do IFP Function?

To understand how an Interactive Flat Panel works, you must first understand how the board works physically. After this, you might want to read another of our articles on how to use a smart board as a TV, but for now, let's get started.

Touch Detection in IFP

A smart board can detect input in one of two ways. The vast majority of Interactive Flat Panels employ an input detection method known as infrared touch. Small infrared lights and cameras built into the frame are used. Imagine a layer of lights being emitted over the surface of the screen if you can visualize the rectangular IFP surface. Our Indisplay interactive flat panel using the best quality of IR touch technology, which can achieve 40 points touch in Windows OS and 20 points touch in Android. 

This invisible plane of light is invisible to us, but the cameras built into the frame can see it. The cameras, which are typically placed at the board's four corners, monitor the plane of infrared light. When that layer of light is broken by a stylus or a finger, they detect it. In this manner, the board can detect when and where it is touched.

The most common way an IFP detects touch is through infrared technology built into the frame, but some boards use capacitive touch technology. This is the same technology used by your smartphone to detect touch. This works by detecting when the screen is touched with an electrical current. Because capacitive touchscreens are more expensive to manufacture in IFP sizes, infrared technology is far more common. Capacitive touch is sometimes preferred because it produces a cleaner look than infrared systems and requires less physical hardware, but infrared technology has advanced significantly at a lower cost. 

Now that you know how Interactive Flat Panels work, you may be wondering what the main benefits of an IFP device are. How does a smart board's unique design enable you to go beyond a "normal" computer setup?

The Benefits of Interactive Flat Panel Displays in Classroom 

Interactive flat panel displays (IFPDs) are increasingly being used in classrooms as a tool to enhance the learning experience. Here are some of the benefits of using IFPDs in classrooms:

1. Improved engagement: IFPDs provide an interactive and dynamic learning experience for students, making learning more engaging and fun. With features like touch screens and interactive software, IFPDs allow students to actively participate in lessons, leading to increased engagement and better retention of information.

2. Enhanced collaboration: IFPDs enable collaborative learning by allowing multiple students to work together on the same screen. This feature encourages teamwork and communication skills among students, preparing them for future work environments.

3. Increased productivity: With IFPDs, teachers can easily access and display digital content, including multimedia resources, in real-time. This makes lessons more efficient and enables teachers to cover more material in a shorter amount of time.

4. Improved accessibility: IFPDs can be used to create inclusive learning environments by providing features like adjustable font sizes, text-to-speech functionality, and built-in assistive technologies. This enables students with different learning abilities to access and engage with lesson content.

5. Better assessment: IFPDs provide teachers with real-time feedback on student progress and understanding, allowing them to adjust their teaching methods and provide individualized support where needed. This helps to improve overall student achievement.

Overall, the use of interactive flat panel displays in classrooms can lead to a more engaging, collaborative, and productive learning environment. It allows for increased student participation and interaction, providing teachers with more tools to help students learn and achieve academic success.