This is a significant concern with using products that have rechargeable batteries in them. I built a Voron 3d printer and was going to use a jailbroke Microsft Surface RT as a touchscreen GUI interface until I looked at the battery issue. Having a constant charge/discharge cycle taking place is asking for an eventual failure and potential fire in a device that you are not monitoring i.e. Not in your pocket.
I ditched my MS Surface for an actual touchscreen, which in this day and age are rather inexpensive.
Maybe the TouchDRO needs an all-in-one solution, which, if it does, just be aware of the fire risk.
Time for perspective... because using a tablet daily for any use, along with the daily discharge and charge cycles is NOT a significant concern.
According to a report by Statista, as of the fourth quarter of 2021, the global market share of Android tablets was approximately 60%. In terms of the number of devices in use, it is estimated that there were over 120 million active Android tablets worldwide in 2020.
According to Apple's latest financial reports, as of the first quarter of 2022, there are over 1.7 billion active Apple devices in use worldwide, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, iPods, Apple Watches, and Apple TVs.
Llithium-ion batteries are widely used in a variety of consumer electronics, and the vast majority of these devices operate safely without causing fires or other safety incidents. There are literally a billion consumer devices in use daily that are powered by lithium cells. Every one of these devices is protected by a circuit that monitors the charge and discharge to protect the cells.
However, lithium-ion batteries have been known to cause fires in certain circumstances, such as if they are damaged, improperly installed or charged, or if they are exposed to high temperatures. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, of the rare fires that do occur the majority of those fires involving e-cigarettes or vaping devices.
Unless you tamper with your products, you literally have greater odds of the following happening to you than or having a fire due to your tablet being used for a TouchDRO screen:
- Winning the jackpot in most national and provincial/state lotteries.
- Being struck by lightning, according to the National Weather Service, which estimates the odds at about 1 in 1,222,000.
- Being attacked by a shark, which has odds of about 1 in 11.5 million, according to the Florida Museum of Natural History.
- Winning an Olympic gold medal, which has odds of about 1 in 662,000, according to some estimates.*
The major advantage of the TouchDRO is the versatility and the ability to leverage existing products. It does not need to contribute to the generation of more e-waste by adding a dedicated screen.
