Zytronic’s all-weather projected capacitive (PCT and MPCT) touch sensors are helping visitors to the Sydney Olympic Park navigate their way around. The site of the 2000 Sydney Olympics still hosts some of Australia’s most significant events, year-round. Scattered amongst its 660 hectares are sporting venues, recreational facilities, parklands, cafes and restaurants. The Sydney Olympic Park Authority’s (SOPA’s) Master Plan 2030 is to deliver outstanding social, economic and environmental benefits for the people of Sydney and New South Wales. Cue Design to Production (D2P) who collaborated with their media partners oOh!media to bring this to life with outdoor interactive directories, or wayfinders.
D2P is a digital communications and merchandising solutions provider that specialises in delivering enhanced customer engagement through superior design and customer experience. Whether it is digital signage, interactive wayfinders or kiosks, the Sydney based company takes a holistic approach to help venue operators, such as SOPA, engage with their community and visitors.
D2P developed the unique, double-sided outdoor interactive wayfinders supported by Zytronic’s technology partnered JEA Technologies, which is based in Melbourne. Collectively, they produced Australia’s first 75in outdoor display fitted with an all-weather, vandal-resistant Zytronic 49in ZyBrid touch sensor on the front, enabling users to interact with D2P’s precise wayfinding software.
D2P selected Zytronic’s large-scale touch sensors for their proven high reliability, especially in outdoor applications. As these areas are mainly unsupervised, the sensor is made from 5mm thick, thermally toughened glass, which delivers optimum vandal resistance. The custom-designed touch sensor incorporates infrared and UV filters to help protect the underlying high brightness display from solar damage. It also has an antiglare etched finish that allows the totems to be used and operate reliably in Sydney’s sweltering summers, with some days hitting temperatures of over 45°C.
David Astone, Director & Co-Founder, D2P, said, “At almost 3m tall with its ‘Olympic Blue’ livery, the SOPA wayfinders are unmissable. Our intuitive wayfinding software integrates with SOPA’s web content management system to ensure there is only one, easy-to-maintain, source of truth.”
The elegant design of the SOPA wayfinder belies its rugged construction. The extremely sensitive ZyBrid technology creates the ultimate user experience. Much like a smartphone’s touchscreen, the interactive display on the SOPA wayfinder provides a millisecond fast, accurate touch response. It also supports simple gesture controls, such as swipes and pinches, but it still works when the user is wearing gloves if the weather becomes inclement.
“Our 75in double-sided outdoor touch screen systems do not miss a beat, a true testament to our entire team with assisting in developing our SOPA wayfinders,” adds Astone.
