Touch-less technology is on the rise.
2020 has seen consumer shopping habits take a U-turn away from the technology they were growing fond of.
The outbreak of COVID-19 has caused a rise in concerned shoppers. No longer do shoppers want to physically interact with digital touch screens, instead they want to go touch-free.
We can now take a look at what inurface media thinks the future holds for touch-less technology.
Touchscreens had become a part of our everyday life. From our watches to our phones, and our shopping to our banking, nowadays there are digital screens everywhere we go.
But then along came COVID-19…
We now live in a world where social distancing is a part of daily life. As for touching surfaces…heavily advised against unless you go heavy on the hand sanitiser before, during and after!
Professor William Keevil from the University of Southampton has discussed how even when using our own mobile devices, we should be cautious about picking them up before we wash our hands or clean them. When it comes to public touchscreens epidemiologist DR Tara Smith from Kent State University has commented;
“Since so many people are touching them day in and day out, they’re a great place for viruses and bacteria to be deposited by infected individuals and be picked up by healthy ones, spreading the germ to new people.”
Reports suggest 80% of consumers deem digital screens ‘unhygienic’. A further 50% of consumers also suggest they would stay clear of them in the future. These new statistics have left a lot of developers in the digital world scrambling for the next idea…
Welcome the birth of touch-less technology.
Technology is one of the latest tech innovations, providing retailers with the opportunity to keep their sales going in a safe way.
Touch-less tec
Though touch-less technology isn’t necessarily new to the market, it’s never really taken off due to its high cost. However, given the need for change more developers are putting time and money into touch-less software so that it can be more readily available for a wider market.
Gesture Recognition
By using simple gestures, customers can interact with devices without even having to touch them. Hand movements or head movements can control content on digital screens. This means customers still have touch points to interact with, they just don’t have to do any of the physical touching! No more drilling ‘look don’t touch’ into your kids when you take them shopping, because ‘look and learn’ could be the thing of the future.
Touch-less Sensing
Familiar with Alexa? She works on voice recognition – like a whole host of other interactive speaker devices. Voice recognition operates by learning your voice and then responding to it every time you speak to it.
We’ve all experienced touch-less sensing without even realising it. Walking into a building with an automatic door? Touch-less technology. Similar to gesture recognition, touch-less sensing works on recognising the presence/motion of a person in its vicinity.
Voice Recognition
Until now voice recognition was only really something we did at home or when we are out and about with our phones. A new demand means software is now being developed to enhance the in store experience from the perspective of the sales assistant.
Remember the days of going into a store and asking for a pair of shoes in a different size? Only for the sales assistant to disappear off for what seems like hours trying desperately to locate your new dream footwear…Well those days could soon be long gone. Voice recognition software has been put to use by The Container Store, who with wearable touch free technology are now able to check stock levels with just one word.
Facial Recognition
At the moment facial recognition is most popular in personal devices like mobile phones and tablets, but it’s gradually making its way into public spaces.
Lots of brands, especially in the beauty industry are focusing on developing AR software that allows customer interaction with products. This software can operate both in store and online – allowing for an omnichannel experience.
Charlotte Tilbury are amongst those testing the waters with tech having recently developed their ‘Magic Mirrors’. Customers visiting a counter with a magic mirror can now physically try on makeup and interact with the products without having to touch them.
On a personal note, we also recently worked with Sports Direct to develop a ‘selfie mirror’ working through facial recognition, providing a great in store experience for the new experiential customer.
This AR software has been extended past the face to recognise the whole-body allowing customers to also try on clothing and interact with other products.
Touch-less Digital Signage Analytics and Interactivity
Not only can touch-less digital signage be beneficial from a customer perspective, but also from a business perspective. By analysing shoppers in your store, you can receive greater insights and provide a foundation for your interactive campaigns in the future. When you add a camera to a digital signage display and plug your CMS into our software, you get a whole new type of digital signage which is crowd-interactive, fully measured and privacy-safe.
So with 71% of consumers in UK saying they expect to interact with touch-less technologies in the future, it looks like a touch-less future it on the horizon. Want to check out how our touch-less technology could benefit your business today?
Get in touch for a free consolation to find out exactly what we offer and how we can create a bespoke environment for you.
