The What: Mad Systems recently demoed three new contact-less offerings with touchscreen-type applications, its latest solutions for museums, theme parks, and visitor centers.
The What Else: The company has at least four solutions to deal with touchscreen exhibits, according to Brandy Alvarado, business development manager. In cases where IR bezels are used, they can be moved further away from the screen, and existing touchscreens can be upgraded for non-touch use by adding an IR bezel. That touch overlay is moved away from the monitor or monitors, for a touchless option. Interactive content designers would need to account for an adjusted parallax and make sure any “buttons” are big enough to accommodate this change to the monitor.
Related: BrightSign Unveils Touchless Engagement Solutions
A second development is the company’s Facial Tracking system built into its QuickSilver touchless interactive media servers. Patrons stand in front of the touchscreen, look at the screen, and their facial movement is used to guide the cursor. To activate a button, just look at it for a second or so and the selection will be made.
Mad Systems can also provide an alternate way for users to interact with a touchscreen by adding one of its sensors. Graphics could be included on or off-screen to indicate possible selections for users to activate content. All users would need to do is break the plane of the sensor, and the selection is made. Sensors provide an additional touchless method for controlling an interactive.
Lastly, with the help of QR codes, Mad Systems’ QuickSilver system can allow for BYOD capabilities. Users activate the camera on their phone or tablet, scan the QR code mounted with the interactive or show on the screen, and the controls for the interactive will come up on the device.
“We’ve introduced several compelling alternatives to consider as a solution for designing a healthier and more sanitary experience for patrons,” said Maris Ensing, founder and engineer. “As we now know, the COVID virus can stay on surfaces for a very long time. We’ve taken a very serious look at this and designed solutions to future-proof venues and make them safer. We want people to go back to a life that is closer to ’normal,’ and that means that we have to make some changes. When it comes to theme parks, museums, and visitor centers, and even office settings and trade shows, we need to create safe environments where people can be entertained and educated without ongoing concerns about catching this virus. We have to do something to get our lives back to a better kind of normal.”
The Bottom Line: These non-contact solutions are designed to allow clients to include safe interactive exhibits after the COVID-19 peak.
