< Previousubiquity of touch 20 KIOSK solutions Gene Halsey General Manager TES America As the world continues to battle COVID-19, innovators are already at work ensuring future pandemics are mitigated or avoided altogether. A major effort is underway to reduce human-to-human contact in public spaces without disrupting the natural flow of society — in an effort to prevent the spread of disease while improving people’s lives in the meantime. An impossible feat? Perhaps. But there are some very smart people who know how to make this happen, and it all starts with utilising the power of touch solutions. Now that might sound counterintuitive, considering the CDC states that our hands play a role in spreading infection. However, current and emerging touchscreen technologies are addressing the risks associated with hand-to-surface exposure and the results are more than promising. And that’s a good thing, because touchscreens are here to stay. Why? Our sense of touch enables us, not only to navigate the world, but actualise our life experiences. ubiquity of touch KIOSK solutions 21 The ubiquity of touch is here to stay Without it, we’d simply be observers in a world not our own. Scientists believe that touch is the first of our five senses we develop, and it plays a fundamental role in our development as human beings. Perhaps that’s why so many of today’s technological advances— iPhones, gaming systems, self-service kiosks, industrial automation tech, digital signage, POS terminals and others— include touch interfaces. Touch has become so ubiquitous in today’s society that the thought of not having touch capabilities is unthinkable. We’ve become so ingrained in consuming data this way, that it’s imperative for us as an industry to make those interactions as safe as possible and drive initiatives to protect the users that are interacting on our screens. Fortunately, touchscreens have come a long way since they were first invented in 1965, and they’re about to take another giant leap forward, with innovators discovering newer and better ways to interact with data. Overleaf is a closer look at a few ways touch systems are making our world a safer place.ubiquity of touch 22 KIOSK solutions Antimicrobial coatings: Touchscreen manufacturers are increasingly adding antimicrobial coatings to their products, providing display interfaces where bacteria and other microbial contaminants cannot grow. Unlike disinfectants and cleaning products, the active ingredients within antimicrobial coatings on touchscreens provide round-the-clock protection against microbes. Touchscreens with antimicrobial coatings are already widely used in high-risk areas like hospitals, laboratories and airlines, among others. But, as pandemic concerns rise, we’re beginning to see these protected coatings on ATMs, information kiosks, bartop games, POS terminals and industrial applications. Antiviral coatings: Antimicrobial coatings are wonderful additions to a touch solution, but they only address a subset of all potential harmful organisms that could live on a touch surface. Antiviral coatings will provide an active viral and microbe killing environment which is “always on.” These coatings are activated by light and do not require a fuel source like silver which is prevalent in antimicrobial coatings. The chemical reaction that takes place between organism and coating once started will work even as light is removed from the screen. This allows touch environments to clean themselves in low use times and provide the user another layer of security in their interaction with the screen. Contactless: In an era of heightened concern of bacterial or viral transfer, the greater public is being introduced to contactless projective capacitive touch (PCAP) display interfaces. The “touch” interaction with the screen is pulled away from the glass surface and is actuated in air. At TES, we call this technology AirTouch. Unlike antimicrobial coatings that lose their efficacy over time, this product retains its effectiveness on viruses and bacteria for as long as the product is in use. What are the implications? We’re looking at safe user interactions by eliminating a physical screen touch. When used properly, there is a next-to- zero probability that a contaminated screen will infect the user. Another great aspect of this technology is the user is essentially interacting with the device in the same way they would with traditional touch, so there’s no learning curve and it can be retrofitted into existing installations easily. Touchless Gesture-Based Interfaces: An expansion of the contactless PCAP display interface, touchless gesture-based display interfaces would be powered by built-in cameras KIOSK solutions 23 ubiquity of touch that detect movement. Whether by swiping a hand, giving a thumbs up or pinching fingers together, the screen would react to the said body movements by either switching screens, selecting an option or zooming in, respectively. We might see this type of technology work well with in-store surveys, casino games, menu selections at self-service kiosks and many other applications. In some cases, gesture-based interfaces may not allow the user to completely avoid touching the screen; but it certainly can reduce the contact time, which will ultimately reduce the viral or bacterial load that the user may transfer to themselves. In addition to the built-in cameras that power the gesture- controlled interfaces, there is also opportunity to work with millimeter-wave (mmWave) sensors. Similar to the radar or lidar in a vehicle, mmWave sensors detect the presence of a human being and classify their physical hand gestures and other movements before sending those commands to the computer to be calculated for response. Remote Control: Many industries will begin to see an increase in remote control touch systems, which utilise cellular data connections between personal devices and cloud servers. This will allow users to control certain commands on kiosks, casino slot machines or even ATMs with their own personal phone or device—ensuring they will not contaminate or get contaminated by touching a public screen. Of course, there are security risks involved and will need to be addressed, similarly to how we now secure cellular connections with a separate encrypted tunnel from a cloud server to a host machine. Once a device is listed as a “Trusted Device,” the host machine and device can communicate back and forth safely. The benefit here is that the user is bringing their own device into the touch experience and hopefully quantifying the risks of that personal device’s contamination at a level that they are comfortable with. UVC Add-Ons: Varying wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting diodes (LED) have been proven to kill viruses and pathogens, including COVID-19. This has led to the development of UV LED bars that can be attached to touchscreens and swiped in- between uses, shooting bursts of UV LEDs as it sweeps the screen. The recent pandemic has only accelerated the use of these light sources as cleaning solutions for touchscreens and personal devices; and has led to a rise in unregulated products making promises that are difficult to regulate, which is why it’s important to trust the manufacturer of the product. Because UV light is a known carcinogen and can be harmful to humans, touchscreen operators must be intentional when using these add-on light sources to clean their screens. Otherwise, they risk injuring themselves or worse, the customer. Self-Cleaning: One of the most—if not, the most—advanced touch systems in the world will likely hit the market in 2022 and will have the ability to self-clean and destroy viruses within minutes. Like the anti-viral coatings, these screens will be able to destroy organisms while in use or at higher intensity at periods of rest – but will not require any additional coatings or add-ons to the surface of the screen. As such, these touch systems should prove cost effective to implement in a wide range of public use locations. These systems would be harmless to the user but deadly to organisms that reside on the screen. While in development right now, the potential of this technology gives hope that the next pandemic will be much better protected from our touch experiences than this one has been. The interesting thing about these issues surrounding the risks of infection and spreading disease is that none of these technologies would be needed if we, as human beings, washed our hands and kept the devices we use clean in-between uses. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality we live in. So, it’s up to the industry to develop the safest technology as possible and mitigate the opportunities for human error. While we are living in an uncertain time, with threats seemingly rising all around us, it’s also a time to be excited because the world’s smartest minds are working together to find solutions that better our lives. As a touch-systems professional for nearly 30 years, I’ve had the opportunity to witness ingenuity at his best, and it has been a fun ride to say the least. The best part of it all is that we’re just getting started - wait until you see what’s next. nall in the data 24 KIOSK solutions Ryan Doak Founder Tecastic Doak founded Tecastic, Inc – a technology company focused on brand strategy and data analytics, out of Baltimore, MD. Despite the closing of many businesses, Tecastic has been able to have numerous conversations and lay the groundwork for 2021 with large shopping centres, property managers, universities and stadiums across the country. Many industries may be closed for business but are very busy focusing on the strategic plan for when the US re-opens in 2021. All comes down to dataall in the data KIOSK solutions 25 We believe that it comes down to data. Proximity sensors that monitor traffic in the vicinity of kiosk and digital screens is one way to collect data. The sensors can be tied in with geospatial data to provide further insights into the demographics and behavioural patterns of individuals. Although COVID has made for a difficult year it has clearly shown that your brand strategy must have a trackable ROI with real data points. Many companies have been using geofencing technology for years. Where proximity sensors stand apart is in multi-floored buildings and facilities with spotty cell service. Most proximity sensors will monitor devices within a 100ft radius and report real-time data inside of a dashboard. Covid-19 has allowed for conversations to happen with key individuals in industries that are typically too busy. As companies start to come back in 2021 they will be much more conscious of their marketing and advertising spend. It will be important to represent your brand correctly and to track the results of every campaign. Manufacturing of hardware overseas has been able to continue and warehouses are filling up with kiosks. Will this increase in supply will affect pricing in 2021? It may prove to be an opportunity for companies to implement additional hardware at a reduced price and still maintain budgets. This may allow brands to have a greater impact at a reduced price. Some US manufacturers have After running NV3 Technologies, a charging kiosk company for 10 years, co-founder Ryan Doak shifted to pursue an opportunity in the kiosk and digital signage space in early 2020. Little did we all know that 2020 would hold some rather large hurdles for the industry as a whole.all in the data 26 KIOSK solutions been able to continue to operate as essential businesses throughout the pandemic. It will be interesting to see how US manufacturers fare in comparison to the number of units imported from overseas manufacturing facilities that have inventory stockpiled. But what about those tariffs? As of December 2020, the President-elect is expected to retain the Trump tariffs on Chinese goods, which will also play a role in the importing of hardware. Many digital signage companies rely on SaaS subscriptions to support their businesses and when their customers had to shut down that revenue stream was lost. Many screens then went blank and in-turn digital signage companies had to close. Covid-19 has highlighted industries that have required an increase in messaging such as hospitals, essential businesses, houses of worship and private schools that have remained open albeit with restrictions. The digital screens – how will manufacturers fare in comparison to the number of units imported from overseas –all in the data KIOSK solutions 27 have allowed for the communication of policies that are ever changing and important messaging from corporate leaders. There is an increase in enquiries for signage in 2021 that will focus on branding and effectively communicating to their audiences. By leveraging the real-time traffic monitoring inside of the dashboard brands are able to determine if screens are properly located. Covid-19 has affected the way we interact with kiosks and digital screens. Kiosks that host a touch screen for interaction have been at the forefront of many conversations in 2020. Touch screen technology has shifted to feature screens that respond without actually touching the screen. Other tech provides maps for wayfinding to be pushed to your mobile device. We have also seen a lot of UVC being implemented to disinfect surfaces. Unfortunately, some manufacturers promote UVC but in reality, the light is just LED and has no disinfecting properties. We have even seen antimicrobial films that are used in the food services industry appear on kiosks and surfaces. 2020 has been a challenge for many industries and the businesses that make up the kiosk and digital signage markets. We believe that a lot of valuable lessons have been learned and that in 2021 hardware will be readily available at a reduced cost due to excess inventory. Brands will be more guarded of their marketing dollars and demand data to support their brand strategy, marketing and advertising campaigns. We live in a world where fake news is prevalent, and it should have no place in brand strategy. As you re-open your businesses provide a quality product to your clients and support your clients with trackable data to ensure a ROI and a happy customer. n – There is an increase in enquiries for signage in 2021 that will focus on branding and effectively communicating to their audiences –Years ago, when touch screen interactivity approached mainstream adoption in retail, customers were adapting to a new workflow. The progression of customers understanding, trusting and ultimately using touch- interactive signage took time. After all, retailers were resetting shopping behaviour that had been in place for many years. But over time customers became much more accustomed to pressing physical buttons and engaging with touch-interactive displays to navigate on-screen content. Fast-forward to retail’s current pandemic recovery effort and we’re at a similar crossroads. Masked-up shoppers are more careful than ever, taking steps to avoid touching surfaces unnecessarily. How ironic that the interactive shopping experience we pushed for so many years is now something shoppers have been trained to avoid out of concern for their health. Of course the solution is not to abandon interactivity altogether – we must instead adapt to this new reality. Fortunately for our industry, and for the greater retail ecosystem, the technology still exists to create rewarding interactive experiences in store, and is constantly adapting in response to the ‘new normal.’ Here, self-service kiosks really do represent the customer service future, providing businesses with a smooth, effective, and sanitised method of interaction. Having already made their mark in supermarkets and airports, the coronavirus crisis has brought the benefits of kiosks to even more sectors, such as restaurants and pharmacies. The obvious advantage to installing kiosks at this time is the opportunity to reduce face-to-face contact within an establishment, creating a safer environment for both staff and customers. The kiosk devices themselves can be effectively sanitised. Plastic barriers, such as Plexiglas, can be installed between multiple devices and the kiosk screens can be effectively cleaned and wiped down between each use. However, the benefits don’t stop there. Mobile technology has advanced further to make these devices even safer. Guests can place orders or conduct transactions through their mobile devices using QR codes on the kiosk, reducing the need for face-to-face contact even further and enabling the customer to use a device that they can be reassured no-one else has touched. The benefits of kiosks have been made even simpler to attain by the availability of kiosk project-management teams who can take the stress out of the installation by sourcing the right technology and managing logistics and maintenance of the devices. These teams tailor kiosk solutions to the business’s demands, such as the need for weather-proof devices, kiosks with tamper-proof security defenses, or kiosks that accommodate customers with accessibility needs. Not long after COVID-19 came onto the scene, we fast-tracked developer support of these new interfaces that use BrightSign media players to enable interactivity via buttons and sensors that don’t require physical touch. Many of these solutions are achieved with a simple retrofit of the existing displays, enabling touchless interactivity and protecting the investment of the overall installation. The response has been strong. Here are a few examples of how our partners are integrating touchless interactivity into their kiosk solutions. The touch-free future of interactivity in retail What’s old is new again, at least as it relates to interactive digital signage in retail. touchfree interactivity 28 KIOSK solutionse touch-free future nteractivity in retail touchfree interactivity KIOSK solutions 29 Jeff Hastings CEO BrightSignNext >