Make: Volume 87

Let’s talk about the matrix! In this article, we’re

going to learn how to make and read touch-

sensitive panels using matrices and conductive

textiles. This might sound a bit intimidating, but

we’ll take it step by step and understand the basic

concepts. These touch panels can be used with a

microcontroller to control all kinds of projects, or

with your computer!

First of all, matrices aren’t that complex. A

matrix is just a series of rows and columns —

basically a table. You can pinpoint a location in

the matrix by finding the intersection of rows and

columns, for example location 2b in Table 1.

TABLE 1: SIMPLE COORDINATE MATRIX

1 2 3

a 1a 2a ...