Article

Kiosk concept uses gesture tech to connect phone and screen

The Grab & Go kiosk uses gesture technology from the Kinect to transfer data from a screen to a mobile device.

May 1, 2013 by Natalie Gagliordi — Editor of KioskMarketplace.com, Networld Media Group

The advent of Microsoft's Kinect device has spurred the development of immersive, interactive technology that aims to involve the consumer in the retail experience on a much deeper level — providing a more memorable experience for them, and potentially a more profitable one for early-adopting retailers.

Some developers are incorporating gesture technology with a host of other evolving technologies, such as QR codes and NFC. The technology supplier Avanade (whose parent companies include Microsoft and Accenture) recently unveiled a solution concept that combines all three.

The Grab & Go kiosk allows consumers to select items promoted on interactive screens and then "drag and drop" them into their mobile phone using hand gestures, enabling them to collect detailed information about a product or add it to a shopping basket.

Consumers equipped with a Windows Phone stand in front of the screen and then tap their device to scan a tag or a QR code to enable Grab & Go to connect with their device. After gathering the desired products or information, the consumer is able to share it on social media, save it on their phone for later use or purchase the items instantly and directly.

Steve Butcher, Avanade's senior director leading its Mobility and Embedded group, said the concept has a wide range of possibilities of where it can be implemented, like retail, banking, hospitality, travel and transportation.

"Retail is our main focus at the moment," Butcher said. "But it's not restricted to any particular industry."

Butcher said that the solution's potential to capture and profile user data is an attractive opportunity for many businesses, adding that the technology is relatively inexpensive, can be easily put together and is highly customizable.

"It could allow organizations to interface with the consumer in a different way," he said, noting however that the solution "might be a bit futuristic" for some generations.

The video below shows Avanade's demo of Grab & Go for this year's Mobile World Congress:

Read more about interactive display technology.