During tests afterward, the researchers found that oil and dirt particles were repelled by the surface, that they bounced right off the surface of the slide, and did not break apart and scatter about.

Not only did the surface seem to work exceptionally well against fingerprinting, but it was a relatively cheap and simple solution. The only problem was that the surface wasnt very robust and stable and could easily be scratched off.

The most promising attempts to create the transparent, oleophobic surfaces that touchscreen makers need use a hybrid approach. Simply using chemicals will not get it done; what is needed is a dramatic combination of chemical treatment and texturing, says Neelesh A. Patankar, professor of theoretical and applied mechanics at Northwestern University.

Patankar says (and others agree) that the research with the best chance of leading to a real nonsmudge touchscreen is a hybrid solution being developed by a pair of MIT researchers named Gareth McKinley and Bob Cohen.