On this episode of Mind Matters News out of the archive, we share a memorable conversation with Hal Philipp, an inventor and entrepreneur who pioneered the capacitive touch screen technology that is now used in billions of devices worldwide. Philipp shares the story of his early work on optical sensors for automatic doors and faucets and how it led to patenting his capacitive sensing technology that he licensed to companies like Motorola and Apple. Philipp discusses the challenges of working with large corporations and the experience of founding his own company to manufacture and market his technology. He shares the key insights and “flashes of genius” that led to his major inventions, and he’s got advice for aspiring entrepreneurs seeking support and funding for their own ideas. Don’t miss this classic episode of Mind Matters News!

Additional Resources

• List of Hal Philipp’s patents: https://patents.justia.com/inventor/harald-philipp 
• Hal Philipp’s publication with Robert J. Marks II
  • H. Philipp and Robert J. Marks II “Microprocessor based light bridge sensors,” Industrial Optical Sensing, SPIE vol.961, pp.28-34, 1988 (The Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers, Bellingham, WA)