Article

3D, interactivity and the new wave of kiosk display technology

New and innovative display technologies are changing the way consumers see, interact with, and maybe even touch, digital signage and kiosk displays.

January 26, 2010 by

The days of wondering at R2D2 flashing out a hologram of Princess Leia to a startled Luke Skywalker are no longer science fiction; in fact they're already a thing of the past.

With innovations like the "3D without glasses" Provision 3D Holovision displays, and even more sci-fi developments in the pipeline, the kiosk and digital signage industries are about to move forward into undiscovered country.

Breakthrough new kiosk and digital signage display solutions are bringing science fiction to life, as 3D holographic displays, touchscreens that allow consumers to video conference with another person and touchscreens that incorporate gesture control to become more interactive all get ready to hit the market.

And there's even more far-out tech on the horizon, as more companies work to make 3D commonplace and tech forerunners continue investigating ways to allow kiosk visitors to actually feel like they're able to touch the holograms.

Los Angeles-based Provision Interactive Technologies has already started rolling out its "no glasses required" 3D kiosk and digital signage displays, branded Holovision, that project a 3D image up to three or four feet in front of the projection screen.

Provision is marketing 17-inch diagonal, 29-inch and 40-inch Holivision screens, as well as its 3DEO Rewards Centers, which already have been installed in East and West coast grocery chains, and are getting ready to go into more retail locations, according to Provision president and CEO Curt Thornton.

And when the Holovision displays are integrated into the 3DEO Rewards Center kioks to offer coupons or promotions to consumers, the results are "phenomenal," Thornton says. Provision's studies have shown up to a 91 percent sales lift in products shown in 3D, brand recall and recognition of up to 100 percent and a 17 to 43 percent coupon redemption rate, as opposed to the 1.5 percent common to most newspaper or mailer coupons, he said:

"The win-win here is the retailer wins because they're pushing more product through their cash ring, the brand marketeers and the advertisers win because they're selling more volume of product, and we the consumer win because not only are we having fun in the store and a cool experience that we can't get anywhere else, but we're getting the instant gratification in the reward of that call to action."

Provision is already on what it calls first-generation interactivity, in which consumers can touch the hologram and it serves roughly the same function as a mouse click on a computer; and later this year the company should be ready to roll out second-generation interactivity, in which consumers can use the familiar finger and hand gestures to interact with the hologram to swipe to the next image or reduce or enlarge the image.

But the really out-there stuff is still just a little further off, Thornton says. Working with researchers at the university of Tokyo, Provision is coming up with what it calls "touchable holography," he says, in which sound waves are used to give consumers the sensation that they can actually touch the holographic image.

"We're using ultrasonic sound waves that will provide a sense of feel to the hologram," he said. "You're feeling sound pressure creating the feel of a tangible object when in fact you're just squeezing air."

The human kiosk is a freestanding, walk-up kiosk featuring a 46-inch touchscreen that provides interactivity with remote personnel though video conferencing over the cellular 4G network.

"What we developed is a proof of concept…that is hardware and software that allow individuals to interact at the kiosk level with a human being," said MediaTile's Roger Sanford, the company's executive producer and vice president of media services.

The human kiosk provides interactivity at a lower price point than others that are trying the same thing because it runs on the cellular networks, not on the company's own network, Sanford says.

Hong Kong is looking at putting it throughout the city's transit system, he says, because it gets people the information they need where they are, and because viewers can be connected to operators who will give them directions in any number of languages.

And the kiosks can also be rolled out in big box retailers to give manufacturers and brands a representative all the way through the retail channel, allowing customers to connect with specific manufacturer reps to get product information directly from the source. Along with large retailers, Sanford says, airlines and healthcare corporations are taking long looks at the human kiosk's capabilities.

"Actually the killer app is not just about the content, it's about finding ways to interact with the people who view these devices," he said.