News

Outside matters

November 2, 2005

One of the biggest allures of self-service technology is the ability to make a location unmanned, but such an approach usually involves placing a kiosk outdoors.

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As president of Suwanee, Ga.-based Pro-Tech, Peter Kaszycki knows about the perils of placing a kiosk outside. For years, he worked in the design and development of industrial controls and computer workstations - like those used in manufacturing plants, refineries and offshore drilling rigs. These workstations had to survive everything the elements could dish out, and he says he learned a lot in building them - lessons he took with them to the kiosk business.

"(Our) kiosks have survived four different hurricanes over the past 12 months and they continue to operate with no problems, even in 100+ degree direct sunlight," he said. "(We've) taken the knowledge we have gained from the industrial side of our business and have applied these proven technologies to the kiosk side of the business."

Industry experts agree that when placing kiosks in an outdoor location, planning and testing become more important than ever.

"I would highly recommend running a small trial in each of your outdoor environments before commencing a full rollout," said Bill Gerba, president of WireSpring Technologies.

"A location by the ocean is going to behave dramatically different than one in the mountains, and a kiosk design that works great in the former might require modifications to perform well in the latter."

Best practices

Although the variables for outdoor deployment are almost infinite, Kaszycki offers the following checklist to keep in mind during planning:

Display brightness - Normal indoor kiosk displays can operate at a brightness of 200-300 Nits, but an outdoor display, which must deal with both direct and ambient sunlight, needs to shine at 850-1,000 Nits.

Auto-dimming - The display should be able to adjust its brightness based on the weather - brighter on sunny days, darker on overcast days.

Touchscreen - The screen must be fully sealed against direct rain, and it also should be shielded by safety glass that prevents breakage. The touchscreen also must be able to operate in wet conditions, and it must be usable by someone wearing gloves.

Temperature - Computers and their components are notoriously heat- and cold-sensitive, so components in an outdoor kiosk must be protected accordingly. Internal temperatures of an outdoor kiosk can go as high at 130 degrees F, so components must be chosen that can handle the heat. Proper cooling systems are also in order.

Keyboard and pointing devices - These must be suitable for wash-down environments, and must be robust enough to handle severe usage.

Material - Outdoor kiosks should be metal with an industrial powder-coat finish. Most indoor materials will not survive outdoors.

Sealing - All connections, openings, doors and panels into the kiosk must be designed with watertight gaskets, latches and fittings. Kaszycki recommends using National Electrical Manufacturer Association standards.

Shock and vibration - Outdoor kiosks will take more physical abuse than their indoor counterparts, so components must be shock-mounted to prevent damage.

This article appeared in theRetail Kiosk & Self-Service Executive Summary, Fall 2005.