Touchless Screen Technology

TOUCHLESS SCREEN AND HOLOGRAPHIC TECH

THE WAY FORWARD FOR SAFE EVENTS, EXHIBITIONS, AND EXPERIENCES

The world has changed vastly over the past two years and although events and other gatherings are back with a vengeance, audiences have developed high expectations when it comes to safety and hygiene. Touchless screen technology is an ideal way for consumers and event attendees to discover information, focus on chosen topics or products, and make selections. When it comes to touchless screens, there is a wide array of technologies working together to provide users with a top-of-therange hands-free experience. Below are just a few innovations to watch out for. WORDS MARISA CUTILLAS

INTERACTIVE WALL DISPLAYS

Envision heading to a museum, exhibition, or cultural centre and staring at a wall display that understands what you are looking at, customising what you view based on your interests. It is already happening thanks to ‘proximitybased activation’ – a system that comprises various sensors placed overhead and throughout viewing areas. This type of experience can capture the attention of people walking by, motivating them to learn more about cultural and commercial offerings. Equally impressive is Microsoft Azure Kinect’s full-body tracking capabilities, which invite audiences to interact with screens using large gestures. By encouraging them to use more muscle groups, the system makes for a more immersive, active experience.

EYE TRACKING SOFTWARE

Imagine simply gazing at a screen and making a selection, as if you had clicked on your screen with a mouse or tapped on your smartphone screen. This technology has been no less than a lifesaver for people with mobility issues and today, it is being used to enhance safety for a wider array of audiences. Tobii is one of the leading companies specialising in this automation. ›

GESTURE CONTROL SOLUTIONS

Museums, aquariums, zoos, and indeed all public spaces can rely on gesture control features to enable visitors to interact with digital books and turn their pages without touching a screen. The tech making this possible includes electrical near-field (E-field) 3D gesture and motion tracking controllers, which allow users to use natural hand and finger motions to carry out a wide array of functions. The latter include turning light switches on and off, using electronic readers, playing computer games, listening to audio files, and controlling appliances such as office air conditioners.

TOUCHLESS SCREENS FOR CARS

Jaguar Land Rover is one of a small number of car marques that use contactless touchscreens in car interiors. This company’s ‘predicting touch’ technology was designed alongside University of Cambridge academics to keep drivers’ eyes on the road while reducing the spread of viruses and bacteria. The technology uses artificial intelligence to predict the item the user intends to select on the screen, speeding up the interaction. The system’s gesture tracker uses visionbased and radiofrequencybased sensors to combine contextual information (such as the user profile) with information obtained from an eye-gaze tracker to make predictive selections.

HOLOGRAPHIC DEMONSTRATIONS

Imagine sharing augmented reality (AR) content with your clients when you visit them, without asking them to don a heavy headset. The company, Looking Glass Display is already making it happen, with screens ranging from around 30cm to 91cm in size. The smaller screens are portable and are being used by leading sales teams to show off their products and services in a dynamic, fresh way. Companies like eventworks4d (ew4d), meanwhile, are bringing lifesize telepresence holograms to a stage and sharing this image with an unlimited number of worldwide remote audiences. Thus, audiences can visit a stage to view a hologram upclose while the talk or event is streamed across the globe. ew4d is arguably the master in holographic events tech, with so many event types on offer. For instance, they offer a holographic projection experience for use in fixed or temporary exhibitions, thanks to a modular stage that can be assembled and disassembled as required. The company uses 4K OLED technology, sound, lighting and backdrops to create a realistic-looking exhibition that can be as large or small as you require.

Recent world events have led to a boom in touchless screen tech. This technology is taking over everything from events to concerts and even car interiors. Holographic demonstrations are also making it possible for companies to reach audiences far and wide in a far more dynamic way. e