News

Kiosks: Unique and bizarre

April 27, 2005

For the past four years, Kiosk magazine has had the honor (and - being honest - pleasure) of seeking out some of the more interesting, uncommon and innovative kiosk programs happening around North America. This small sampling below indicates not only the amazing range of kiosk technology, but also the potential kiosk technology has for new uses and applications.

No bug in this rug

IconMedialab, a global information technology consulting firm, has unveiled a new interactive kiosk system that enables a manufacturer to provide sales support to its retail partners, provides a shopping experience for consumers, and increases brand awareness for the manufacturers' product at the critical point of sale. In the initial implementation with Solutia/Wear-Dated, the kiosk takes carpet customers through a streamlined purchase process and offers an ability to visualize how different carpets will look in their own homes. The customer has the option to save their customized room plan and carpet preferences and later access their information from an in-store kiosk or website. In addition to photorealistic imaging, advanced estimation and customization tools, extensive product information, tips, and customer support, the in-store kiosk includes a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification)

component that helps customers quickly access all necessary product and pricing information by simply scanning a carpet swatch at the store.

Solutia/Wear-Dated wanted a solution that took into consideration the tactile needs of customers to purchase their carpet. When designing their future rooms, and when a customer has a swatch of carpet or swatches of carpet, the RFID reader will automatically change the carpet look of the room on the kiosk. In fact, the carpet samples can be detected by the kiosk anywhere in a two-by-two foot space around the kiosk, and then automatically changes the kiosk interface without customer intervention. It almost appears as magic to the customers. When a customer has the photo-realistic room that has the carpet they want, the profile is saved and can be accessed later from home online.

www.weardated.com
www.iconmedialab.us 

Guilty until proven innocent

This past March, LexisNexis U.S. and Touch Sonic Technologies

partnered for the launch a new legal information kiosk that is changing the way prisons comply with court mandates requiring inmate access to the law. The two companies installed the new wall-mounted kiosks with shatterproof touchscreens in corrections facilities in Hawaii and California. Before the kiosks, prisons had no option but to spend huge sums purchasing law books, which involve administrative costs, are subject to vandalism, and become quickly outdated.

The kiosks, called the TSTLL, were developed specifically for prisons by Touch Sonic and feature legal research from LexisNexis, allowing corrections departments to offer comprehensive and current legal information to inmates. In addition to ensuring access to current legal information, the TSTLL unit allows the correctional facility to track the usage of each inmate through a login, providing a record that can be used to defend allegations of non-access. The inmates have access to the same high-quality LexisNexis legal research used by the top law firms in the country. This includes access to state codes, court cases on the state and federal level, and resources like law dictionaries and guides to criminal defense.

www.touchsonic.com
www.lexisnexis.com

The TeeOsk!?!

4everSports of Canada is providing a unique wireless on-course management and electronic scoring system. The integrated system is made up of proprietary web-based software and wireless internet technology and 18 solar powered computer kiosks, known as TeePodsTM. There is one TeePod per hole and each has a bright, colored, touchscreen interface designed to withstand the elements and be user friendly.

At the kiosk the TeePod system provides both golfers and course operators with a wide variety of features such as score keeping, a real-time leaderboard, food ordering, emergency assistance, and tee-time bookings. The service is provided free to golfers, and is provided solely by the golf course and, in some cases, with advertising sponsorship that appears on the screens. Either way, the company is guaranteeing that the system can pay itself off within a one-year period.

www.4eversports.com 
 
Meals on wheels

It looks just like a small flatscreen display, but to provider Wincor-Nixdorf it's a powerful portable computer affixed to the shopping cart. The PSA (Personal Shopping Assistant) accompanies the customers as a "scout" as well as a personal shopping advisor,

giving every conceivable kind of information on the product line-up, individual articles and prices. The customer identifies him or herself using a customer card. The system then recognizes the customer and knows items preferred during his or her previous visits.

Going through the store, it draws the customer's attention to items on this list, saying which articles are particularly good value today, introducing him or her to special offers and, if requested, showing where specific items can be found. The customer can also use the PSA to scan in his purchased items right away, and the shopping computer will provide a summary list of all purchases complete with value and quantity. Once at the checkout, things really speed up: the PSA transfers the purchase data to the POS system, a receipt is printed and the customer pays. Even the payment process could be automated, for example at a self-checkout terminal.

www.wincor-nixdorf.com 
 
Diamond in the rough

When GemEx Systems, Inc., wanted to survey prospective diamond buyers on how they see different grade diamonds, these diamond experts went directly to custom-built kiosk technology. Kiosk designer and solution provider D2 used custom designed

and assembled LED lighting, hand built circuit boards and a one-of-a-kind, custom fabricated oscillating display pedestal that replicates the movement of a diamond ring worn on the hand to showcase the stones.

At the kiosk, five different diamonds are featured in a theft deterrent custom case, which is housed in a matte black enclosure. Survey participants answer questions on the touchscreen above the case. Then customers are easily able to see how light affects the stones and the importance of the GemEx Light Performance report - and how it can save them money while helping them to find the most beautiful diamond based on return of light.

According to Randy Wagner, GemEx president, "though the 4 C's are important when shopping for a diamond, it's easy to see why smart customers are adopting a new standard for the way they buy diamonds. Nothing in the 4 C's will ensure your purchasing a diamond that will dazzle people with its sparkle once outside the bright lights of the store - that's why light performance is so important, and why we believe this kiosk will help people make better buying decisions."

www.gemex.com
www.d2sales.com
 
Originally published in the July/Aug 2004 issue ofKiosk magazine.