Article

CeBIT 2002: Finding joy out of sadness

German kiosk manufacturer friendlyway displayed a new way to memorialize loved ones at this year's CeBIT technology show in Hannover, Germany.

March 27, 2004

HANNOVER, Germany -- In many parts of the world, the funeral process reflects the sadness of losing a loved one, with soft black curtains, burning candles, flowers and wreaths, and solemn music.

But a German kiosk company wants to add one more element: the familiar face of the dearly departed, smiling at you from beyond the grave.

Among the innovations at this year's CeBIT technology show in Hanover, Germany, from March 13-20 was the Gedenkstein (German for memorial stone) -- a kiosk solution to allow people to commemorate loved ones in ways not possible with a simple headstone. The kiosk was designed and manufactured by German kiosk company friendlyway AG.

Of course there are cultural differences around the world as to how we commemorate our dead. Some people are religious, while others are not. Some cultures favor headstones and statues, while others prefer plaques and photographs.

But the kiosk technology, as envisioned by friendlyway, could change that. Klaus Trox, friendlyway chairman, said his company's kiosk represents the future of personal memorials, where sports heroes and film stars will not be the only ones receiving media-style treatment when they pass away.

He is not concerned with how content will be provided for the kiosks. Trox expects clips and images of the deceased's favorite activities and songs will be utilized, along with information on charitable donations and messages of condolence from family and friends.

"So many people have their own Web sites now, that it will be easy to find content," Trox said.

Although they may be similar in appearance to headstones, the kiosks are not meant to replace them, in part because they would not last long in an outdoor environment. Trox suggests that a new kind of remembrance chapel could be developed, dedicated to showcasing this sort of device indoors.

friendlyway has yet to sell any of the kiosks. Company officials said talks were ongoing with two potential clients, but did not disclose any other specifics.

While the memorial stone was a centerpiece of friendlyway's CeBIT display, the company also displayed other ideas for banking, retail, and trade-show deployments.

Among the company's displays was Peep Mail, a kiosk solution that allows users to record and send video greetings and e-postcards from a touchscreen terminal. The machine was initially intended for use in tourist centers and theme parks, but has enjoyed success in locations with a young clientele, such as discos and cinemas.

In the Lux cinema chain in Germany, the terminals have been used as often as 600 times daily. Revenue is generated by customers who pay to create greetings and advertisers who attach their own messages to the kiosks.

Checking in, buying stuff

Other companies that exhibited interesting kiosk prototypes at the show were Toshiba Europe GmbH and Wincor Nixdorf GmbH & Co.

Toshiba TEC Europe showed off a new cinema-ticketing kiosk, Cineticketing. The kiosk allows customers to find movie information and order and pay for tickets. The system also has a security function built in; each ticket contains a radio frequency identification tag which can be used to operate the doors to the theater.

Wincor Nixdorf turned an entire shop window into an interactive touch screen with its Virtual Shop Window kiosk. This system creates an interactive touchscreen offering Web and DVD displays. The huge size of the screen means that even a normal Web page can be used with a touchscreen -- ordinary text links are large enough to be singled out with a fingertip.

A large LCD screen hangs inside the window. When the screen is not switched on, the window can become completely transparent for normal display purposes. When the kiosk is turned on, the LCD screen clouds and a rear projection unit at the back of the window beams images onto it.

To guard against vandalism, all the technology is kept behind glass. The motion of the finger against the window is tracked by two cameras inside the shop, which view the action through small mirrors attached high up on the outside of the window. The area covered by the cameras can be configured so the display can react to a customer's approach.

Rainer Hölting, Wincor product manager, said the kiosk could fit a variety of applications. He said car dealers, banks, real estate agents, and travel agents were among the potential deployers for the Virtual Shop Window.

Final numbers

Despite concerns over a less-than-robust economy, the Internet technology industry was very much alive and thriving at this year's CeBIT show, according to show organizers.

The overall numbers did sag behind last year, however. CeBIT officials reported about 700,000 visitors to this year's event, down about 17.5 percent compared to last year's 849,252. The number of exhibitors also dropped, from 8,093 last year to 7,962 (down 1.6 percent).

But CeBIT organizers pronounced the show a success on the show's Web site. The numbers, while lower than last year, were a sign that the industry is pulling out of the economic and industry struggles of the past year.

"The `catalyst industry' is now back on its feet," the show's Web site pronounced, "the economic recovery can begin."