Answers.Body: <p>Any metallic or metal coated parts (spoon, aluminium foil, pen) should be usable with a contemporary touchscreen, although proper touch recognition still requires a human (or an equivalent capacitor) to touch the conductive surface. <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=pinpw2&amp;name=Technic,%20Axle%20Metal%20Long,%20for%20Expert%20Builder%20Gears&amp;category=%5BTechnic,%20Axle%5D#T=C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Therefore</a> <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=x1220&amp;name=Human%20Tool%20RC%20Car%20Separator%20Tool%20Metal&amp;category=%5BAccessory,%20Human%20Tool%5D#T=C&amp;C=0" rel="nofollow noreferrer">theoretically</a> <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=99948&amp;name=Technic%20Ball%20Steel%2018mm%20D.&amp;category=%5BTechnic%5D#T=C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">any of</a> <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=70644&amp;name=Technic%20Hook%20Large%20Metal&amp;category=%5BTechnic%5D#T=C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">these</a> <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=x1687&amp;name=Train%20Wheel%20RC%20Train,%20Metal%20Axle&amp;category=%5BWheel,%20Accessory%5D#T=C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">official</a> <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=73092#T=C&amp;C=11" rel="nofollow noreferrer">LEGO parts</a> <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2865#T=C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">with exposed</a> <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=3241#T=C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">metallic surfaces</a> (<a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=996bc01#T=C" rel="nofollow noreferrer">or similar ones</a>) <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/search.page?q=metal#T=P&amp;P=2" rel="nofollow noreferrer">should function</a>, although the ergonomics, user experience and building possibilities might not be the best :)</p>
  <hr />
  <p>Note, be wary of scratches on the screen and of magnetic intereference (when using magnets) to a smart device's compass. Additionally if the part has too little area of contact to the screen the touch recognition might not work (try touching one prong of a fork to a screen) - but this sensitivity might be configurable for application developers.</p>
  <p>The official touch-enabled brick solves all of these problems by being made of a softer material than most everyday metals, having no magnetic field of its own and offering a touch area comparable to that of a finger, but of the above list, the metal ball comes the closest (as rolling should reduce scratches).</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-09-06T09:36:50.430Z
Answers.Text: This is a great idea! I've tested couple of items from your list and they all worked. Too bad it is hard to integrate these elements effectively and visually pleasing into System MOC.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Alex
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-09-01T09:17:46.927Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-09-01T09:17:46.927Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: zovits
Answers.Body: <p>BrickLink only has that one match for <em>conductive</em>, so I'm guessing that's it.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2021-08-25T21:57:18.527Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2021-08-25T21:57:18.527Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: RSchulz
Body: <p>Ultra Agent sets released in 2015 feature an interesting type of brick, which is called AppBrick (LEGO marketing name) or <a href="https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=15411" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on Side and Conductive Element on Opposite Side (AppBrick)</a> on Bricklink:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/du3WF.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/du3WF.png" alt="AppBrick conductive 1x1 brick" /></a></p>
  <p>This is how LEGO describes it in the <a href="https://brickset.com/sets/70172-1/AntiMatter-s-Portal-Hideout" rel="nofollow noreferrer">AntiMatter's Portal Hideout (70172)</a> set:</p>
  <blockquote>
  <p>Build your AppBrick Gadget included in this set and play out cool missions on your tablet</p>
  </blockquote>
  <p>Basically you build a small model with a few elements and put it on the screen (of the phone/tablet) to interact with a dedicated app as shown in the instructions:</p>
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/mXVCV.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/mXVCV.png" alt="conductive AppBrick used on capacitive screen" /></a></p>
  <p>This brick is made of some new material, which is of conductive plastic and it works with capacitive touchscreens. That is, you can control whatever you wish on your phone/tablet screen using this brick with your hands without your fingers actually touching the screen. This is a pretty cool feature. However, even though this element has a useful stud with a hole on the backside, usage of this element is rather limited. I wonder if more LEGO elements exist featuring the same properties?</p>
  
Tags: <piece-information><plastics>
Title: LEGO elements working with capacitive touchscreens?
UserDisplayName: Alex
ThreadText: # LEGO elements working with capacitive touchscreens?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2021-08-25)
  
  Ultra Agent sets released in 2015 feature an interesting type of brick, which is called AppBrick (LEGO marketing name) or [Brick, Modified 1 x 1 with Stud on Side and Conductive Element on Opposite Side (AppBrick)](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=15411) on Bricklink:
  
  [![AppBrick conductive 1x1 brick](https://i.sstatic.net/du3WF.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/du3WF.png)
  
  This is how LEGO describes it in the [AntiMatter's Portal Hideout (70172)](https://brickset.com/sets/70172-1/AntiMatter-s-Portal-Hideout) set:
  
  > Build your AppBrick Gadget included in this set and play out cool missions on your tablet
  
  Basically you build a small model with a few elements and put it on the screen (of the phone/tablet) to interact with a dedicated app as shown in the instructions:
  
  [![conductive AppBrick used on capacitive screen](https://i.sstatic.net/mXVCV.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/mXVCV.png)
  
  This brick is made of some new material, which is of conductive plastic and it works with capacitive touchscreens. That is, you can control whatever you wish on your phone/tablet screen using this brick with your hands without your fingers actually touching the screen. This is a pretty cool feature. However, even though this element has a useful stud with a hole on the backside, usage of this element is rather limited. I wonder if more LEGO elements exist featuring the same properties?
  
  **Tags:** piece-information, plastics
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2021-09-01. Score: 3 | Accepted answer
  
  Any metallic or metal coated parts (spoon, aluminium foil, pen) should be usable with a contemporary touchscreen, although proper touch recognition still requires a human (or an equivalent capacitor) to touch the conductive surface. [Therefore](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=pinpw2&name=Technic,%20Axle%20Metal%20Long,%20for%20Expert%20Builder%20Gears&category=%5BTechnic,%20Axle%5D#T=C) [theoretically](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=x1220&name=Human%20Tool%20RC%20Car%20Separator%20Tool%20Metal&category=%5BAccessory,%20Human%20Tool%5D#T=C&C=0) [any of](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=99948&name=Technic%20Ball%20Steel%2018mm%20D.&category=%5BTechnic%5D#T=C) [these](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=70644&name=Technic%20Hook%20Large%20Metal&category=%5BTechnic%5D#T=C) [official](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=x1687&name=Train%20Wheel%20RC%20Train,%20Metal%20Axle&category=%5BWheel,%20Accessory%5D#T=C) [LEGO parts](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=73092#T=C&C=11) [with exposed](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=2865#T=C) [metallic surfaces](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=3241#T=C) ([or similar ones](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/catalog/catalogitem.page?P=996bc01#T=C)) [should function](https://www.bricklink.com/v2/search.page?q=metal#T=P&P=2), although the ergonomics, user experience and building possibilities might not be the best :)
  
  ---
  
  Note, be wary of scratches on the screen and of magnetic intereference (when using magnets) to a smart device's compass. Additionally if the part has too little area of contact to the screen the touch recognition might not work (try touching one prong of a fork to a screen) - but this sensitivity might be configurable for application developers.
  
  The official touch-enabled brick solves all of these problems by being made of a softer material than most everyday metals, having no magnetic field of its own and offering a touch area comparable to that of a finger, but of the above list, the metal ball comes the closest (as rolling should reduce scratches).
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: This is a great idea! I've tested couple of items from your list and they all worked. Too bad it is hard to integrate these elements effectively and visually pleasing into System MOC.  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2021-08-25. Score: 3
  
  BrickLink only has that one match for *conductive*, so I'm guessing that's it.
  
  
  ---
  
  