Trancent Glass Switch

Billings Jackson Design began to investigate glass electrical switch technology for practical and aesthetic reasons. The team wanted to create a frameless transparent switch that truly expressed the beauty of the material. A frameless switch could be cleaned and sterilised easily, opening up new opportunities for its use in hospitals, surgeries and anywhere where hygiene is paramount. 

Most touch screens have a frame because the edges and contacts need protection to make the screens durable. Billings Jackson’s research led them to Merten, which had developed a new capacitive resistant circuit board, sensitive enough to respond to touch through a 4mm layer of glass. It didn’t require an electrical connection between the glass and the main body of the switch and this breakthrough enabled Billings Jackson to create something simple, elegant and frameless.

The capacitive resistant circuit board mounted behind the glass is capable of analysing a finger-tip signal and translating that signal into an ‘on’, ‘off’ or ‘dim’ message. The information behind the glass can easily be changed and, if desired, the fabric of the wall can be incorporated to make the switch almost disappear against the architecture. The switch can also be illuminated to provide way-finding and signage.