Bent Stumpe

Bent Stumpe (born 12 September 1938, Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish electronic engineer who spent most of his career at the international research laboratory CERN, Geneva, Switzerland. Stumpe built in 1972, following an idea launched by Frank Beck, a capacitive touchscreen^[3][4][5][6] for controlling CERN's Super Proton Synchrotron accelerator.^{[7][8][2][9][10]} In 1973 Beck and Stumpe published a CERN report, outlining the concept for a prototype touchscreen as well as a multi-function computer-configurable knob.^[11][12]

On the left, x-y multi touch capacitance screen prototype developed at CERN in 1977;^[13][14] on the right, self capacitance screen developed at CERN in 1972.^[15]

Bent Stumpe
Bent Stumpe showing a prototype of a capacitive touchscreen developed at CERN in the 1970’s.[1]—a similar technology to which was applied to the iPhone produced by Apple Inc. many years later.[2]
Born	(1938-09-12) 12 September 1938 (age 86) Copenhagen, Denmark
Nationality	Danish
Alma mater	Royal Danish Air Force
Occupation	Electronic engineer
Known for	Early development of the touchscreen

Bent Stumpe in front of the prototype of the SPS console, 1973

Education

Bent Stumpe was educated within the Royal Danish Air Force and obtained a certificate as a radio/radar engineer in 1959.

Career

Leaving the Air Force, Stumpe was employed from 1959–1961 at the Danish radio and television factory TO-R Radio before he was employed by CERN from 1961 until 2003.^[16] In combination with his activities at CERN, Stumpe was a consultant to the World Health Organization working on the development of an instrument for the early detection of Leprosy.^[16][17][18]