Pressure sensing touch systems and methods

A pressure-sensing touch system for detecting a touch event caused by the application of an amount of pressure at a touch location, comprising:

• a waveguide having an upper surface, a lower surface, an input edge and an output edge, wherein the waveguide is bendable when pressure is applied at the touch location;
• a light source system in optical communication with the input edge and configured to introduce light into the waveguide that defines output light at the output edge, wherein the output light has an associated intensity distribution, and where bending the waveguide from the application of the amount of pressure causes a change in the intensity distribution.
• a detector system in optical communication with the output edge and configured to detect at least a portion of the output light that exits the output edge and detect the change in the intensity distribution upon bending the waveguide, and in response thereto generate a detector signal;
• and
• a controller operably connected to and configured to control the operation of the light source system and the detector system, and further configured to process the detector signal to determine whether a touch event has occurred.