Currently, virtual touch screens (VTS) are used primarily for entertainment and research purposes. A popular virtual touch screen system is the Kinect system made commercially available by Microsoft. The Kinect system is primarily used for consumer entertainment such as playing games and using the menus found on the Xbox system.However, in recent years the Kinect has been used for research projects in the field of robotics and 3-D interactions outside of the field of games such as browsing the web, and medical practices.

There is a potential for the technology where the 3D visualization and physical interaction with the objects is necessary, such as teaching students introductory calculus.

Virtual touch screen technology can also be applied to turn non-touch displays into interactive, touch-capable surfaces using a Kinect sensor in combination with a projector. This type of application allows virtual touch technology to enhance personal display usage as well as better communication and presentation of data to be used in education or business settings.


The Kinect sensor, commonly used in many virtual touch screen applications
In medical practices, virtual touch interaction has been applied to allow users to view and manipulate digital data such as 3D images used in medical scans, allowing medical staff to interact with the data without any physical contact, thus avoiding the need for re-sterilization.[15] Additionally, Microsoft's Kinect sensor has also employed the use of virtual touch screen technology to help stroke patients recover and improve motor function in their limbs through a game-like system involving interpretation of gestures combined with adjustable difficulty levels based on the user's performance.