< Previousbacking touchscreen technology over a physical presence, with increased cleaning regimes and special antibacterial overlays being developed and introduced in branches and stores across the country. The thin film, with layers of silver nitrate, is placed over screens to kill bacteria and, in turn, helps to counteract any consumer concerns. However, it’s by no means 100% effective. Typically, it takes a few hours for the bacteria to be killed. This means that for premises that have a high footfall and an increased rate of screen usage the overlay cannot work fast enough. As such, it has to complement current cleaning regimes and act as a temporary solution to enable businesses to start back up again and provide customers with reassurance that their health and safety is paramount. Contactless While simple adjustments have been made to enable touchscreen applications to remain functional, other developments have been made in recent months to ensure that the general use of technology stays at an optimum level. One such advancement is the contactless user experience, which can be integrated into existing touchscreen systems. The contactless interface prevents the need for people to touch a screen. The intuitive piece of technology, which can be retrofitted over current self-service kiosks, allows a user to navigate the screen by waving their hand and hovering over buttons. Best suited for simpler applications, such as car parking machines and QSR systems, it helps to negate customer concerns about traditional touchscreen technology and provides extra confidence for users. Confidence In the current climate, confidence is key. Research and development in the kiosk sector have to be rooted in this principle, certainly in the short term. Customers need it; retail and leisure operators need it. One such development is contactless temperature checking, which can screen customers and employees on arrival. This is gaining particular traction in the gym and fitness industry. With multiple gym operators entering into administration in recent weeks as a direct result of the pandemic, gyms are understandably placing confidence-inducing measures at the centre of their operations. This tactic is largely to retain memberships and fee income, while demonstrating that the health and wellbeing of their members is critical to a business’ survival. The advancement of contactless technology, in lieu of developments in touchscreen applications, has been borne out of COVID-19. The solutions may be temporary. On the other hand, they may develop further as we see future markets emerge, such as the health and wellbeing of customers and employees. However, what they both do is provide retailers and leisure operators with options in a world that has suddenly closed many doors. It’s clear that everything is evolving at an extreme rate. COVID-19 is not going away any time soon, and, as companies continue to reopen and assess what they need to do to remain viable, the self-service kiosk market has to step up to the plate, develop products quickly and try different approaches, in order to meet the changing needs of consumers – if not the world. Transaction conversion The market is growing and will continue to be buoyant. As we emerge from the Coronavirus pandemic, many companies that are financially unstable will be looking at ways to cut operational overheads. Opening back up with fewer staff, means that self-service kiosks – touchscreen or otherwise – will become more important than ever before. Whether it’s virtual receptions, food ordering services, or payment terminals, businesses will be searching for solutions that maximise transaction conversion rates, improve customer journeys and reduce costs. It’s essential for brands to connect and communicate with employees and customers, but they need to find new ways of doing this safely. It’s by no means an underestimation that technology has a huge role to play.” n touchscreen technology 30 KIOSK solutionsbrands are still backing touchscreen technology over a physical presence, with increased cleaning regimes and special antibacterial overlays being developed touchscreen technology KIOSK solutions 31We live in a world that expects every display to be interactive. When a child approaches a screen in a shopping mall, they instinctively touch it, and are surprised if it doesn’t react. Touchscreens are now a natural part of our everyday lives – from smartphones and tablet computers to ticket machines and self-service checkouts. Despite their ubiquity, many product and industrial designers still opt for generic touchscreens in their designs – fearing high tooling costs and lack of flexibility when it comes to prototyping. They design a product and choose a generic, rectangular touch panel when there can be distinct advantages to sometimes selecting a solution that has been Ian Crosby from touchscreen manufacturer Zytronic, shares his thoughts on the leading considerations a product designer should have when planning a device that has a touch interface. Free your mind: Advances in the industrial and product design of user interfaces Ian Crosby Zytronic product design 32 KIOSK solutions al product design KIOSK solutions 33precisely tailored to the application, both in terms of appearance, and performance. However, there exists the very real challenge of finding a touchscreen manufacturer that can help deliver such innovation in user interface design. You need a partner that can quickly produce prototypes without high upfront engineering costs or prohibitively high MOQs. One that can work closely with you to understand the unique requirements of your project and then propose a customised touch interface, which is not only designed to enhance the user experience but also operate faultlessly in the chosen application. Environment When your product is made for outdoor, unsupervised use, certain elements of touchscreen design become challenging. The threat of bad weather and vandalism necessitate thicker glass, which can be an issue for responsivity when using conventional capacitive touch panels. The overall product must be designed with the touchscreen integrated as a core element of the system from the outset – ‘bolting on’ an unsuitable touchscreen as an afterthought increases the risk that it won’t properly operate in your self-service device when exposed to rainwater, surface contamination, etc. product design 34 KIOSK solutionsYou must also consider the use your product is being designed to fulfil and how that affects the touch panel. For industrial or medical uses, for example, the touchscreen must be capable of working reliably with gloved hands. Hygiene and cleaning In a post pandemic world, any surface that will be touched by multiple users may be an issue – how do we ensure people continue to interact with a touchscreen safely? If a touch panel is planned as part of your project, you should try to ensure that the screen is designed to be fully flat to the product with no recesses or raised areas, which could lead to dirt, dust and potentially harmful microbes being trapped and also make the screen harder to clean. A product designed with the right touchscreen from the outset will instead be able to be wiped down easily. As in the above point, the screen must also be able to register input from gloved hands and be resistant to harsh disinfectants and scrubbing. Intended purpose Will your product be used by a single end-user or, like an interactive whiteboard for business use, will it need to respond to multiple inputs from several users simultaneously? Again, this should be considered holistically from the project outset, as retroactively installing a multi- touch overlay might not work with some types of displays. The touch sensor and underlying panel should be considered together and at the design phase and then form, fit and function tested in an integrated, working prototype model. Accessibility A new challenge for designers of self-service systems, is matching the expectation of touch technology with the real challenge of providing fair accessibility for any potential user. Therefore, if a product is being designed to include a touchscreen, due consideration should be made to ensure that the technology can be used by all, including disabled and visually impaired users. These additions or custom elements must be planned and tested at the design and prototyping stage rather than retrospectively, and for that reason the correct touch solution must be selected early in the product design cycle. Prototyping Fortunately, none of these challenges are insurmountable if the appropriate touchscreen technology is chosen. Where once, a product designer was hampered by the difficulty of prototyping touchscreens thanks to high MOQ’s and inflexible designs, projected capacitive touch technology and capability have now moved on tremendously in recent years. Zytronic, for example, can provide bespoke designed touchscreen prototypes to product designers within a matter of days or weeks, and at no, or minimal tooling cost – giving them the flexibility and freedom they need to create unique solutions, and quickly test and demonstrate to potential stakeholders and clients. Free reign Taking this even further, the right touchscreen partner should also be prepared to consult with your design team at the initiation of the project – helping them understand the challenges and potential solutions bearing in mind the application and environment. A designer may begin with an idea and then create a 3D rendering – but only by testing a real, physical prototype can the idea be verified and presented to a client. To all product designers: there is now no need to limit yourself to simple or unsuitable touch panels – you can give free reign to your ideas and concepts and begin exploring the limitless possibilities of the latest projected capacitive touchscreen technologies. n product design KIOSK solutions 35cash transactions 36 KIOSK solutionsAt the start of the pandemic there was much panic and uncertainty around cash and its ability to carry and transmit the virus. Over the past few months, the World Health Organisation, Head of the Health Department Germany, The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), ESTA (The Cash Management Companies Association), ECB and many other organisations confirmed that there is currently no scientific evidence to confirm that COVID-19 can be transmitted through coins or banknotes. However, many retailers are still strongly The importance of safe cash transactions to ensure payment choice Marcus Tiedt Sales and Marketing Director Innovative Technology cash transactions KIOSK solutions 37 In the current uncertain climate with the Coronavirus impacting every corner of the globe, having the ability to automate cash transactions is important for practicing good hygiene for businesses and society as a whole. advising other forms of payment even though handling cards, mobile devices and touching keypads in public places, could carry an equal risk. According to The Wall Street Journal, it might be the right decision to keep extra cash on hand and consumers who favour mobile wallets might have just as much to worry about as those who handle cash, since smartphones can be "a haven for germs." It’s also been disappointing to hear that some payment providers are even using the coronavirus as a platform to increase their market share by highlighting that cash could accelerate the virus transmission. Local stores Amid the panic buying and empty supermarket shelves which sadly some payment providers are using the coronavirus as a platform by highlighting that cash could accelerate the virus transmission. cash transactions 38 KIOSK solutionsfeatured at the start of lockdowns which were imposed throughout the world, local shops saw a big increase in the number of customers. Some of these smaller, more local stores can only accept cash so it is important that customers are able to pay with cash safely. The level of cash use obviously differs from county to country, with some regions being more dependent on cash than others. But one thing is clear, despite advancing technologies driving the rise in both mobile and electronic payments, cash is still by far the most widely used form of payment globally. Therefore, the need to ensure that both businesses accept cash and customers can pay with cash is just as important in times of crisis such as COVID-19. Digital payment We are and will always be an advocate for cash. Convenience is often cited as the key factor when choosing to use low-tech cash over digital payment methods. People can trust cash; it is readily available and reliable. The fact that cash does not have a digital footprint is also attractive for some consumers especially in a world where so much personal information is shared; cash helps protect the anonymity and confidentiality of its users. Also, cards often incur fees whereas cash is free. Security is also a consideration and there is no risk of cybercrime and fraud. Most importantly, cash has no barriers, and is available to every part of the population. Automation Across many parts of Europe, cash transaction automation is already practiced within various retail businesses. For example, in some establishments like butchers and bakers, cash can be deposited directly into machines and change given without the need for cash to be handled by the shop servers. The kiosk industry is also a prime example where the use of cash payment automation is well established. Affordable, easy to use systems to make cash transactions safe are ideal for many other applications too, including convenience stores, pharmacies and petrol stations and indeed any business with a cash management terminal. During the pandemic, some manufacturers have developed products that enable customers to transact using cash, in a safe and hygienic way. Cash automation machines can protect both staff and customers; enabling social distancing during cash transactions while eliminating the need for staff to handle cash. The customer can manually insert the notes and coins directly into the machine and shop assistants do not have to touch the cash as the machine will automatically give customers the change they need. As well as reducing the risk of spreading viruses and bacteria, it also helps give the customer a better shopping experience too. Cash automation machines ensure payments are quick and easy for the customer, save time for sales assistants who no longer need to count the cash and give businesses a more efficient way to quickly empty and refill their cash management terminals. Hygienic cash automation kits that enable retailers to take cash payments are essential for organisations to ensure they continue to give consumers payment choice throughout the pandemic and beyond. Many customers who want to pay by cash need to be given the freedom of choice to do safely – after all cash is the only inclusive form of payment available to all. n cash transactions KIOSK solutions 39Next >