The disclosure describes various aspects of different techniques for flexible touch sensors and method for wide-field imaging of an atom or ion trap. A touch sensor is described for controlling movement of a control element for use with the trap that includes an outer structure and an inner structure that holds the control element and moves within the outer structure. The trap is inside an ultra-high vacuum (UHV) environment and the outer and inner structures are outside the UHV environment and separated by a UHV window. The control element or elements are brought into proximity of the UHV window in connection with controlling targets at the trap. The inner structure can stop moving within the outer structure to avoid damaging of the UHV window with the control element(s) in response to the inner structure being in physical contact with or within a set proximity of the outer structure.