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For the longest time American industry has had a very contradictory relationship with China.
Back in the late 70s, we had our own experience with semiconductors (RAM) and China and American manufacturers. Needing to collect more seismic data do we purchase 100 devices from a US company or do we purchase 1000 devices from China? The outcome was not good for the US semiconductor industry.
In the kiosk industry past it was common at shows to have the Chinese with high-resolution cameras take photos of kiosk units designed by US manufacturers. These photos were later transformed into CAD files and then subsequently offered on Chinese sites, sometimes at 25% the cost. They would break down more often but then you could buy 2 spares at the same cost.
The software application side of things though was and is non-China-provisioned. That has changed.
Currently, there is a “hot market” for temperature screening kiosks. Devices from Belgium and Germany are predominantly used as the temperature sensors and they are integrated into tablets typically running Android on a Rockchip.
The claim is they include AI module and facial recognition along with the temperature measurement. All the sweet spots.
Problem is now that this software is Chinese in origin. Its not just hardware anymore. That brings into play regulations such as HIPAA as well as Federal laws regarding technology (blacklists). Deployments by marquee companies such as Amazon are common, and have included blacklisted technology.
In the temperature kiosk market, we see literally thousands of Chinese units being deployed at schools, state agencies, and federal agencies which employ Chinese software. Software that uses algorithms of blacklisted companies with data that passes thru their servers.
TikTok is an entertainment platform and it has been deemed sufficient national interest to require changes.
Given these “surveillance” platforms for scanning the general population, is it reasonable to suggest they might require changes?
Maybe injecting Chinese software into Smart City technology gets peoples attention. Not sure.
Chinese Software – The New Danger? was last modified: September 22nd, 2020 by News Editor
Kiosk news from around the globe. We don’t formally post all of these but we do summarize and note them. These are all curated of note by our editors. If interesting and noteworthy then KI makes a note. If any of our thoughts appear to be in error be sure and send email to craig@catareno.com
September
DSE Declares Bankruptcy – writeup on 16:9 — It was matter of time. It was a few years back they opted for quality argument over quantity. Show never grew. ISE and InfoComm are still running but we suspect most will migrate over to NRF just like we did in the kiosk industry.
QSR Market Update Opinion – QSR & Fast Casual Restaurants – Is the Restaurant Business Getting Better? September 18, 2020 Editor Note: We do interviews with magazines (recently for NRN) and in those we express what we call “ad hoc” opinions based on what we have seen and heard. For sure
09/11 Buyer Beware — Appears to be a McDonald’s outdoor menu (Samsung OF55F?) with some severe burn. Link
09/11 Video – Behind-The-Scenes Look At Changes Coming To TSA Checkpoints Amid Pandemic | NBC Nightly News
09/11 Question: How to count people without any concerns regarding privacy or data protection regulations? Nice writeup by Wick of Heimann Sensors on LinkedIn – link
09/11 Questionable Claims — Copper-infused antimicrobial film – called NanoShield – its makers claim will self-disinfect something like a touchscreen in less than 15 minutes. Thanks to 16:9 for the expository article.
09/10 – PCAP TILE for seamless across multiple 55 inch screens announced by TSItouch (includes video) – link
08/25 — Whole Foods Cashierless By Next Year? Amazon may be looking to bring the cashierless tech found at its Go convenience stores to Whole Foods supermarkets as early as next year
08/25 — Circle K piloting autonomous self-checkout technology LINK
08/25 — Walmart adding new modern self-checkout bays in Wichita. Pics. LINK
08/25 — Five steps of legal advice on handling anti-mask customers from National Restaurant Association LINK
08/25 — From JAL website – Japan Airlines (JAL) today announced the decision to trial new touchless technology at Tokyo`s Haneda Airport, starting August 24. LINK
08/25 — DART Gets Touchless Kiosks for Wayfinding LINK
08/23 — Article on UV-C Wands from CNET. The dangers of. LINK
08/20 — South Korea begins using a robot greeter. checks temperatures, dispenses hand sanitizer, enforces social distancing and makes sure you are wearing a mask. Thanks to Ross at QwickMedia. Video. Link
08/14 — More than 15,000 Canadians have died of an opioid-related overdose since January 2016. is transforming the distribution of regulated products with an integrated platform that combines industry-leading software, advanced biometrics, and tamper-resistant hardware. Article
Click for full size Opiod dispenser
08/13 – Digital signage news — Fourwinds Acquires SmartSpace. Workplace software for employees (tough market). Expands FWI’s international presence and capabilities with offices and employees in the US, UK, Europe, and Asia. Link
08/13 – report from IPVM on the Alabama Fever Detection deal which involves HKVision (blacklisted). $1M deal. Link
0812 – VA and Cerner appear to be “back on”. This time the date is October. Veterans Patient Check-in kiosk and Mobile in play here. Link
08/12 — Recommended Accessibility requirements for RFPs article by The Paciello Group (TPG). Link
08/11 – TSA is putting in new ID verification (CAT). Credential authentication technology (CAT) at Thurgood Marshall Airport and others. Not kiosks, just desktop devices inline for use. Link
08/10 — GRUBBRR works with BlueStar. BlueStar is a Solutions-based distributor seeking to offer its customers complete solutions which can be taken to market and not just individual pieces of hardware. GRUBBRR will work with BlueStar for ready-to-go self-ordering solutions. BlueStar distributes much of the hardware used in GRUBBRR products, and now will have access to the software that can transform those products from simple hardware into automation solutions. Link to full article
08/04 — From HotelBusiness — Temperature Scanning Can Help Employees & Guests Achieve Peace of Mind– article link
08/04 – Elo announces Elo AccessTM temperature screening kiosk. Looks to be a “turnkey solution” application for wellness-check at the door. Specs for bolometer and camera not disclosed. Press release link
08/02 — Curative deploys first Covid19 testing kiosk in California. Not bad looking. Link
07/29 – Henry Ford hospital adds temperature screening kiosks. Note that this has been misreported as retinal scanning when in fact after speaking to hospital they confirmed to KI that it is in fact inexpensive Infrared sensors.
07/26 — A man using a prosthetic mask stole more than $100,000 at casinos, prosecutors say. Colletti, 55, allegedly targeted his victims by illegally obtaining their personal information and then using counterfeit driver’s licenses to withdraw funds from their personal bank accounts via self-service kiosks at the casinos. The kiosks, operated by Global Payments Gaming Services, are used by the casino industry for bill-breaking, jackpot processing, cash withdrawals, cash advances, and ticket exchanges, among other services, according to the complaint. The kiosks require users to insert their driver’s license and the last four digits of both their Social Security number and phone number before checking account funds can be withdrawn. Each victim had previously enrolled to have their bank accounts linked to their profile in Global Payments’ “VIP Preferred Program,” the complaint said. Link to article on CNN
07/21 — How the pandemic is affecting business travelers in airports. Lots of pictures with this article. Malaysia, UAE, Canada, Doha. Link
07/21 — 170 companies now offering thermal imaging. In Just 6 Months, ‘Fever Cameras’ Have Become a Full-Fledged Industry More than 150 companies now sell alleged fever-detecting technology aimed at the coronavirus. Link
07/21 — Temperature screening — Suprema Adds Thermal Camera to Biometric Kiosk Solution LINK
07/21 – American Airlines unveils touchless kiosks. The kiosk prints the bag tags, all without the customer having to touch the kiosk. Link
07/20 – The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) has selected passenger temperature screening technology for use at Hawaii’s public airports to help protect the community and identify passengers with a potentially elevated body temperature. Nice article too at Homeland Security
07/20 — Olea offers financing on temperature kiosks. $8 per day for a temp screening kiosk including shipping and extended onsite warranty when you finance. Compared to assigning and employee to scan everyone coming in the building not to mention safety it’s a no brainer really.
07/16 – Olea Hires Director of Alliances & Partnerships – Olea announces the hiring of channel sales and partnerships industry expert, Rusty Gaynes, as Director of Strategic Alliances and Partnerships.
07/16 – Networld announcers new virtual summit — Self-Service Innovation Virtual Summit Dec. 8-9, 2020. Wide range of self-service interest including vending, food packaging and more.
07/16 – South Hall Kroger gets new DMV tag renewal kiosk. Link
07/16 – Webinars – July 16th — Panel Discussion — The rapid growth of kiosks and the next evolution beyond self-service
Thursday, 16th July at 4:00pm UK time
Tradeshows – Yesterday (7/9) NRF announced the Big Show will not be happening in January. Instead it will be in early June. A virtual show will occur in January. Here is the link. We will be in 1503. Now NRF is just about two weeks after the National Restaurant Association show in Chicago. We were expecting the postponement as we became aware of several of their marquee “biggest show of the year” companies grounded their travel thru January. At NRA the KMA has a 10×20 in the Tech Pavilion. Here is our booth location.
Customer Experience – Top 80 Stats About A Future Customer Experience Shaped By Technology — Link
Electric Cars – Electric Car Charging Stations Are Finally About to Take Off – Bloomberg
Kiosk Software – KioWare for Windows | Configuring KioTouch™ YouTube Video
Airlines – Changing the way we fly and interact at airports with smart self-service solutions by Materna IPS GmbH. This is not a short #COVID response but a sustainable solution to upgrade the flyer’s customer journey. Pyramid Computer GmbH is very proud to be part of that solution. New Self-Bag Drop Materna
Thermal Imaging — MoviTHERM launches FLIR A500-EST. A camera designed with your elevated skin surface temperature screening needs in mind. https://zcu.io/yEJu
Coming soon: The new embedded RFID module from Zebra Technologies. The RE4000 is Zebra’s first RFID module designed to be embedded into Zebra’s RFID printers and third-party OEM equipment. Endless applications include medical devices, kiosks, access control, smart lockers, robots, vending machines, casino terminals, ticketing systems, POS terminals and many more.
June
McDonalds Kiosks — McDonalds permanently closing Times Square Flagship. Link. McDonald’s confirmed this week that the company has made the “difficult decision” to close the famed corporate store in Times Square, a move that was in the works prior to the coronavirus pandemic.
Healthcare Kiosks — as news reports detail the impact COVID-19 will have on our population and the healthcare system that serves it, many medical facilities have put systems in place to streamline services and keep frontline workers safe…… — Link
Budget Considerations for Self-Service Kiosk Success — Link — carefully consider each of these five high-level areas in solution budgeting – they will all come up. This is a macro view of the main elements of project budget, and supplier evaluation considerations that can most effect your budget
Custom America announces the availability of the all new D4 desktop label printer – read more about the new product release here:
Appetize on “What is a Virtual Kiosk” — Virtual Kiosk allows guests to instantly access mobile ordering on their smartphone. It uses QR or Quick Response Codes– a surprisingly easy to use technology– to bring guests directly into the ordering site.
Evoke Partners with Core Intelligence on Distancing Application — We’re excited to partner with Evoke Creative for CORE | Intelligence Powered By FastSensor, designed to allow business owners to monitor social distancing in real-time through our groundbreaking, AI technology, all while allowing you to get to know your customers better than ever.
Frank Olea Podcast with 16:9 — Excerpt on touchless — Yeah, it’s fun. It’s gimmicky. But yeah, getting the public to change their behavior is gonna be really hard. I mean, it ‘s about the path of least resistance, right? So unless it’s easier, it’s not gonna happen.
New telemedicine kiosk option from Lilitab — Introducing new Telemedicine Tablet Cart. It’s perfectly suited for any healthcare environment to be wheeled into patient rooms allowing doctors to “see” their patients at a safe distance. It meets all ADA requirements for lying, seated, and standing positions with self-adjusting tilt.
FDA Makes Hand Sanitizer Recommendations — FDA advises consumers not to use any hand sanitizer manufactured by Eskbiochem SA de CV in Mexico, due to the potential presence of methanol (wood alcohol), a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested. FDA has identified the following products
Video Call Kiosks from KIOSK — Compunetix is pleased to announce a partnership with KIOSK Information Systems (KIOSK) to deliver Video Call Center™ (VCC) on digital kiosks. Compunetix Video Call Center (VCC) for Healthcare is a browser-based, real-time voice and video workflow solution for healthcare providers that need to remain available to their patients in a safe and secure manner.
Moviegoers return as Cinemark cautiously reopens — Cinemark is the first major theater chain in North Texas to reopen its doors, welcoming customers Friday at locations in West Plano, McKinney and northwest Dallas off of Webb Chapel. It will resume operations at other locations on a rolling basis in the coming weeks.
Electronic Shipping Kiosks — D’Arrigo California has implemented shipping kiosks at their shipping facility in Salinas, CA. This innovative tool, which contains a proprietary software program, was developed to improve efficiencies of the shipping process. D’Arrigo California’s investment in the electronic shipping kiosks and its proprietary software program demonstrates its commitment to provide efficiencies throughout its supply chain.
Wow Bao announced further expansion plans within the East Coast market. In quarter one 2020, Wow Bao will open three new locations at some of the largest transportation hubs in the region, including Dulles International Airport, Boston Logan International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport. https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/wow-bao-plots-east-coast-expansion-2020
We wanted to update our information on thermal temperature screening. The best source for that is IPVM which tests all types of devices and reports on the “bad actors”. We do not like having to comment negatively on events but when it is in the interest of the public and American taxpayers we have to speak up.
No Blackbody Mistake, Half Million Dollar, Hikvision Fever Camera System in Georgia
By: Charles Rollet, Published on Sep 16, 2020 | Email This
A Georgia school district touted buying Hikvision fever screening “about $2,000 cheaper per camera” with no blackbody for a total cost of a half a million dollars, despite the fact that these calibration devices are crucial for accuracy.
Moreover, the School district made a mistake confusing the accuracy of the Hikvision system with a blackbody to the worse performance of the ones they bought without a blackbody.
This news follows an Alabama school district spending over $1 million on a similar no blackbody Hikvision fever camera system and even declared it would not follow FDA guidance. Such deals harm public health efforts and waste taxpayer money while helping the bottom line of Hikvision and its dealers.
The district told IPVM that no blackbodies were included explaining that “the vendor [Ultimate Security] did not recommend that we purchase the blackbody.”
“About $2,000 Cheaper A Camera”
During the board meeting, Assistant Superintendent Mike Sanders touted Hikvision’s lower cost, saying he knew of another school system paying $2,000 more per camera:
I’ll just say I do know of another school system – they are currently installing these – I won’t mention the school system name because I do know we’re buying them, installed, about $2,000 cheaper a camera than what they are, they’re getting the same exact camera, we feel like it’s a good price point for us, we’ve seen it from $2,000 a device up to $100,000 per device, the prices are coming down now that more and more people are getting into the market [emphasis added]
Mistaken Accuracy, Confusing With and Without Blackbody
While the school district thought they were saving money, they actually confused the specified accuracy of the Hikvision system with a blackbody vs what they actually bought, without it. During the meeting Assistant Principal Sanders touts the accuracy of what they are buying as ±0.5°F, saying:
scrolls on down to the best and this, the long range camera, does fall into that best it’s an accuracy of point five degrees Fahrenheit and which is is is pretty good.
To the contrary, the Hikvision camera, sans blackbody, they bought only has a specified accuracy of ±0.9°F, 80% worse than with a blackbody. In this configuration, a reading of 99.5°F might be as low as 98.6°F or as high as 100.4°F.
The video below shows the school district claim and the mistake made:
Blackbody Crucial to Accuracy, IPVM Testing Shows
A blackbody (pictured right) is a calibration device that emits a single stable temperature, giving thermal cameras a crucial comparison tool. Below is an FDA diagram of “proper thermal imaging room setup”, note the blackbody adjacent to the person being screened:
IPVM testing of Hikvision’s fever cams shows that deploying them without a blackbody results in reduced accuracy/missed elevated temps/false alerts, even worse than the inferior accuracy Hikvision specifies.
IPVM’s test shows that without a blackbody, accuracy is typically reduced to within ±1.0°F to ±1.5°F, significant enough to result in false alarms and missed elevated temps:
The lack of a blackbody also increases long term accuracy risk as ambient temperatures change.
No Operators Touted, Despite FDA Guidance
During the August 10 meeting, Assistant Superintendent Sanders stated “another benefit” of Hikvision’s system is that it could be run remotely (no operator on the ground), with the system automatically taking pictures of high temp students and sending these directly to the principal, who would then “locate that student” to be sent to the nurse:
another benefit of this one is that we don’t have to have an administrator standing right there. The others, you had have to have someone standing there making sure they came in and stopped. With this one, it can be set to where an alert comes through to the principal, to the assistant principal, with a photo of that individual telling what the temperature read, and then that would allow them if someone’s not at the door, that would allow them the opportunity to go and locate that student [emphasis added]
However, the FDA’s fever screening guidelines instruct that each thermal imaging system be run by a “properly” trained person who prepares “the person being evaluated” in order increase accuracy:
Furthermore, running a fever camera system remotely means potentially contagious children cannot be immediately screened out and sent to the nurse, leaving them free to roam around and contaminate other students.
Quick Screenings Touted, Despite Inaccuracy Risk
Superintendent Dr Jody Barrow touted Hikvision screening “large numbers of students in a quick fashion”. Assistant Superintendent Mike Sanders also said the Hikvision system allows people to be screened without stopping:
most everything we had demoed would require a student to come up and physically stop, take the scan, and then move on, and obviously at the entry point when you need that, that’s not real feasible
However, in practice, if individual students are not made to stop and position themselves correctly in front of the camera and remove face/head coverings, the system will be much more inaccurate. This increases the risk of simultaneous screening, which the FDA does not permit, instructing users to “measure only one person’s surface skin temperature at a time”.
Debunked Hot Water Test Touted
As proof that the Hikvision system ‘works’, Superintendent Barrow noted Hikvision demos of people holding hot water cups getting “caught”:
some of their video clips, where they were actually running a lot of people through, they would take hot cups of water or coffee so they would make sure they caught that person
One aspect the district got right is that Hikvision fever cameras only screen foreheads, so signage will be deployed to tell students to remove their hats, with Superintendent Barrow noting that “students aren’t going to be able to wear their hats as they come in”. On the other hand, since there will be no operator, students could easily ignore this. Moreover, hair bangs also interfere with Hikvision’s forehead only system.
Controversy Over Privacy, Human Rights
The Hikvision system sparked controversy locally; at an August 24 district meeting, one man in attendance criticized it over “privacy issues”, per local paper The Citizen:
In response to the privacy concerns, the school district says facial recognition is not part of the deployment, stating “the cameras are being used to solely check body temperatures, and not for any other identifying purpose.” The district did not directly address Hikvision’s human rights record after we asked.
I personally contacted several locations in my research, in addition to four supply distribution centers, to make sure that Hikvision still had the reputation that I am familiar with, and my research confirmed it
Conclusion
Hikvision has aggressively promoted fever camera sales worldwide but has done little to ensure these are properly deployed as required by the FDA and international standards. The installation of expensive but poorly-implemented systems of questionable use is an inevitable result of this campaign.
IPVM Devices Tests
PVM has tested, by far, the most “fever” / temperature screening devices in the world. The following is a listing of our tests to date:
However, what fever camera salesmen are doing is much worse. While post 9/11 sales were very bad and many people bought useless or broken equipment, many fever cameras are rigged giving a false sense of security that increases the risk that more die.
Some of the more established vendors of security products to schools, including Axis Communications, have avoided the fever detection business altogether over concerns that thermal cameras aren’t accurate enough to detect fevers quickly in large groups because of how sunshine, exertion and masks can alter readings.
“If you have 500 students entering between 8:00 a.m. and 8:15 a.m., we don’t believe we are going to make a product work accurately enough,” said Fredrik Nilsson, vice president of the Americas at Axis Communications, a major supplier of surveillance cameras to schools, retailers and other businesses. “We are very long term and not opportunistic.”
“If you have 500 students entering between 8:00 a.m. and 8:15 a.m., we don’t believe we are going to make a product work accurately enough.”
He compared the proliferation of companies selling fever detection tools to those that sold facial recognition technology in the aftermath of the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
“A lot of airports went out and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to install facial recognition at check-in and realized it wasn’t accurate enough and they had tens of thousands of false positives a day,” he said, warning that schools could find themselves in a similar predicament. [emphasis added]
Worse
Axis certainly has a point here. But our testing shows it is even worse.
While undoubtedly hundreds of millions were rashly spent after 9/11 on video surveillance systems that were ineffective, it was much easier to see ineffective video analytics or poor quality cameras than it is to see ineffective fever detection.
When a perimeter protection systems alarms on a headlight, the user can immediately see the system is ‘broken’. When a facial recognition system alarms on someone who looks nothing like the watchlist, the user can immediately see the system is ‘broken’.
When a fever detection system misses someone with a fever, people cannot simply look at a person and tell (as they can with video analytics and facial recognition mistakes). Worse, since so few people have a fever and almost everyone nearly has the same temperature, it is easy to trick people into thinking it is working.
KIOSK announces new touchless kiosk software as new tool for customers
Since 1993, KIOSK has led the industry in the design and manufacture of self-service solutions. We provide highly specialized experts to surround every aspect of the project, executing personalized customer deliverables in parallel.
In-house services encompass every aspect of customized solution design:
Hardware Enclosure Design
Software Application Design
Flexible Volume Manufacturing
ISO Certified Standards
Safety Agency Certifications
Complete Deployment Services
Advanced Field and Managed Services
Project teams integrate all deliverables within a single professional campus, stream-lining communications tied to consistent first pass success.
With over 200,000 units successfully deployed, KIOSK has deep experience in a full complement of vertical markets, providing niche expertise in both platform creation and volume deployment support. OEM and end customer projects range from traditional applications in retail; bill payment, and HR to highly custom multi-function banking, vending, smart locker and border security solutions. With 25+ years entirely dedicated to the art of self-service, KIOSK has the passion, expertise, and resources to greatly simplify your path to market.
New touch-free kiosk option is meeting consumers’ surging demand was last modified: September 20th, 2020 by News Editor
POSBANK and Esper Help Retailers Rapidly Launch Self-Serve Android Kiosks
From PRWeb — POSBANK and Esper Launch Self-Serve Loyalty Program Kiosks at Parker’s Convenience Stores
POSBANK, global leading POS terminal and Kiosk manufacturer, teamed up with Esper, the leading Android DevOps solution, to help retailers rapidly launch self-serve customer kiosks. Today, POSBANK and Esper announced they successfully deployed BIGPOS® 2700 kiosks at various Parker’s convenience store locations in Georgia and South Carolina. The kiosks provide a self-serve loyalty program experience to Parker’s customers, including loyalty program enrollment, account management, and lost card replacement.
“Customers worldwide now prefer self-service ordering and contactless payment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Shiv Sundar, Co-Founder and COO at Esper. “Retailers like Parker’s need to launch self-serve kiosks in a matter of weeks, not months or longer. Esper teamed up with POSBANK to help retailers and restaurants rapidly transform their self-service customer offerings at an industry-leading price point.”
Parker’s is a nationally-acclaimed regional convenience store chain in the Southeastern US who was named the 2020 Convenience Store Chain of the Year by CStore Decisions. The retailer worked with Esper to purchase and launch POSBANK’s BIGPOS® 2700 kiosks with Esper’s cloud management tools built into the hardware, as part of their ongoing commitment to an industry-leading customer experience.
“BIGPOS® Kiosks are available off the shelf with Esper’s cloud tools for Android, so retailers like Parker’s can remotely manage kiosks,” says Elijah Jung, Marketing team manager at POSBANK. “Our mutual customers can ship devices from POSBANK’s factory directly to retail stores without any IT support requirements. Retail employees can simply unbox the kiosks on-site and turn them on for secure, zero touch provisioning.”
POSBANK and Esper’s joint solution for Android retail kiosks is the first-ever option for complete kiosk lifecycle management. Retailers and restaurants worldwide can work with POSBANK and Esper to achieve best-of-class deployment speeds and a fully-remote approach to update and debug kiosks post-launch.
About POSBANK
POSBANK is a leading global provider of Point of Sale solutions serving more than 200 customers in over 80 countries around the world. Based on customer-focused engineering and over 23 years’ of experience, POSBANK offers a wide range of POS terminals, Kiosks, touchscreen monitors, POS printers, peripherals and POS software for retail and hospitality industries. Currently POSBANK focuses more on innovative POS terminals, Kiosks and custom solutions that meet specific needs of various global customers. For more information, visit http://www.posbank.com and contact us at sales@posbank.com.
About Esper
Founded in 2017 in Bellevue, Washington, Esper is the industry’s first complete toolchain for connected Android devices like kiosks, point-of-sale, digital signage, and purpose-built hardware. Esper’s cloud console and open APIs provide the infrastructure for secure connection and real-time data exchange between Android devices and cloud. You can learn more at https://esper.io/ or at andi@esper.io.
POSBANK and Esper Retail Self-Serve Android Kiosks was last modified: September 20th, 2020 by News Editor
Mimo Monitors’ Interactive Touch Controller Included in new Series One Google Meet hardware kit from Lenovo
Mimo Monitors’ sleek, AV-over-IP touchscreen controller provides easy installation and integration to ensure meetings are reliable and hassle-free — Mimo Monitors PR link
CHICAGO, IL—September 16, 2020— Mimo Monitors (www.MimoMonitors.com), the experts in small touchscreen displays, are pleased to share that their innovative Ethernet powered Series One Touch Controller is included in the new Series One Google Meet hardware kit from Lenovo. Designed from the ground up by Cloud and Mimo Monitors, this new innovative touchscreen controller is connected and powered over a single Ethernet (CAT5e) cable simplifying installation and adding elegance to any meeting space or huddle room.
“For the Series One Meet hardware kit we wanted to improve the conference room experience by including a touchscreen controller that was beautiful, lower profile on the table, easy to install, intuitive to use, and elevated the conference room space while providing a delightful experience for both those in the room and those working remotely, “ said TJ Varghese, product manager at Google. “We sought to develop a cutting-edge, power over ethernet solution and we knew Mimo Monitors would be the ideal hardware company to help us bring it to life using DisplayLink technology.”
Combining state-of-the-art software and hardware together to make conference rooms more interactive and seamless to use with sleek visual appeal, the Series One Google Meet hardware kit provides an ideal video conference room solution. Anticipating potential needs, no matter the size or scale of the conference room, each of the thoughtfully curated kit components are designed to work together, eliminating any conference room hassle while bettering the overall experience and increasing productivity.
This Series One Touch Controller, specifically designed for Google Meet in partnership with Lenovo to be a conference room interface, provides an innovative AV-over-IP solution that reduces installation costs and complexities while eliminating the need for an abundance of cables often found in typical conference rooms. Intuitive to use and beautifully crafted, this touchscreen controller is human-scaled and has a sleek low-profile design to maximize space and minimize clutter, enriching video conferencing.
“Conference rooms can be cluttered, costly, and unnecessarily complex. We’re proud to have collaborated with Google Cloud and Lenovo to create a completely new display architecture that eliminates the complication of extending PC interfaces beyond the distance that they were designed for”, said David Anderson, President and CEO of Mimo Monitors. “Ethernet is a perfect solution as we can send data and power over long distances on a single cable. It is an intuitive and simple solution that every IT person knows how to install, and it simultaneously eliminates the need for an electrical outlet at the table, making conference room set up much more flexible.“
The Series One room kits are available in two colors, charcoal, and chalk to integrate seamlessly into any conference room design. The kit will be available beginning at the start of November and range in price from $3,000 to $3,999.. You can learn more about the kit here: https://meetingdevices.withgoogle.com/seriesone
Mimo Monitors’ Interactive Touch Controller & Google Meet and Lenovo was last modified: September 20th, 2020 by News Editor
Editor Note: We do interviews with magazines (recently for NRN) and in those we express what we call “ad hoc” opinions based on what we have seen and heard.
For sure, QSR orders for self-service kiosks have declined in certain segments. Drive-Thru has been steady through all of this. But orders from your usual fast-casual companies serving that market and others of the world have dropped off substantially. Most places don’t allow people to come indoors so a kiosk doesn’t make sense.
There is a lot of talk that tells us there is serious pent up demand though. We think we’ll see an explosion of various kiosks as people start to re-open and look for a way to keep their costs in check.
Dealing with a machine or a phone has become primary as opposed to dealing with a person across all the verticals since the pandemic has started (healthcare for example and patient check-in).
For numbers?
My estimate is currently 40% but that number is headed down. More like 30% for the year expected as restaurants have had to really cut expenses. The decline of self-order machines’ order has stayed steady compared to other outlays. Drive-thru even more so.
When the pandemic struck (late March/early April) for comparison things came to a complete stop.
Since then we have seen people like Sonic and Taco Bell redesign their new restaurants to accommodate more mobile and drive up and pickup as opposed to in-store dining which is still problematic.
What About Point-Of-Sale?
It’s worth looking at Point-Of-Sale (POS) opportunities as well. In the SLED and Federal markets we see historically over $6B worth of opportunities, 6000 opportunities and an average value of 4M per opportunity. Right now we see 261 active opportunities. For contracts, add another $5B over 2000 contracts (1400 active).
Chain, hit hard by Manhattan closures, outlines pandemic-accelerated strategies tied to digital ordering and store formats; new Shack Track store debuts in Los Angeles; in-house delivery a priority, leaders say.
Loyalty members can opt-in for personalized menu and payment experience featuring a digital voice assistant; Mastercard platform builds on automated tech tested last year by Sonic Drive-in
QSR Market Update Self-Service – Unattended Kiosks was last modified: September 20th, 2020 by News Editor
Frederick, MD (Sept. 10, 2020 )- Kiosk Group, Inc. is thrilled to announce the release of CheckPoint, their new COVID-19 non-thermal health screening kiosk that allows facility managers to easily screen employees and visitors with a simple set of health questions. This kiosk solution reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission in facilities while protecting individuals’ privacy.
Anyone entering a building incorporating CheckPoint is instructed to stop for screening by the large graphic panel mounted on the rear of the kiosk. CheckPoint does not include thermal temperature detection, instead asking the user a series of CDC-approved screening questions to determine their risk level. Users can respond either via voice control or by using the touchscreen interface.
Click image for full size image
Once screening is complete the kiosk prints a date-stamped badge for easy identification within the facility. No identifying data about the person being screened is stored.
“The CDC states that employers and businesses may consider daily in-person screening to identify employees or visitors with signs or symptoms consistent with COVID-19.” said Alan Mischler, CEO. “Using CheckPoint in your facility can help accomplish this and minimize the risk of transmission.”
Although a number of screening kiosks that incorporate thermal cameras have appeared on the market in recent months, screening based on facial temperature can be unreliable. Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases confirmed this in August 2020 during a Facebook Live session with Walter Reed Medical Center:
“We have found at the [National Institutes of Health] that it is much, much better to just question people when they come in and save the time because the temperatures are notoriously inaccurate many times,” Dr. Fauci said.
The CDC estimates that 40% of individuals infected with COVID-19 do not have any symptoms. Still, the chance of transmission of COVID-19 from asymptomatic people is 75%.
CheckPoint comes fully assembled with software pre-installed and can be leased at a cost of less than $12/day.
As an aid to help businesses reopen safely, Kiosk Group is offering free sanitizer wipe and gel pump kits with kiosk purchases throughout September. The kits feature a mounting system that does not require any permanent modifications of the kiosk itself, and kits for Classic Standalone and Roo Printer kiosks have optional bins to provide a convenient place to dispose of used wipes.
Kiosk Group, Inc is a privately-owned, Maryland-based company that sets the industry standard for interactive tablet kiosk hardware as well as secure browser apps by Kiosk Pro for iOS and iPhone.
From LinkedIn we see entry from Tucker Lightsey on the release of KIOSKs’ new NoTouch Touchless mobile proxy
Tucker Lightsey
Director of Product Management at KIOSK Information Systems
I want to share something cool we have been working on – Touchless Kiosk!
Control your Kiosk from your smartphone.
– Does not require downloading an app.
– Does not require login or sign up.
– Does not require any modification to the existing kiosk software.
– Secure and encrypted.
– Supports iPhone and Android.
Simply scan and go!
Works on any Windows device (new kiosk, old kiosk, my kiosk, your kiosk, not-even-a-kiosk kiosk). Coming soon to Linux and Android.
Kiosks Business is Booming. This Is How Your Business Can Take Advantage.
ZebraHas Been Partnering With Several OEMs To Help Them Quickly Design, Build And Deploy Kiosks Around The World. Find Out How We Can Help You Get Off To A Strong Start, Too..
If you’re an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and you’ve never previously ventured into the kiosk marketspace – or if you’re just starting out as an OEM, the kiosk sector holds huge prospects for you. Tillster’s 2019 research predicted the self-service kiosk market would reach $30.8 billion by 2024. It’s likely that most OEMs would be keen to snap up even a small percentage of this global opportunity.
THE COVID-19 EFFECT
It’s important to note that the Tillster research was carried out before COVID-19 changed our lives and the way we interact with others. Pre-virus, many of us were happy to pay for our goods in a supermarket while chatting to the person at the checkout lane. We might not have thought twice about touching the keypad to pay at the point of sale, and we would happily pick up our fast food face-to-face at the counter.
Yet, nowadays we are all more cautious, limiting our interaction with others in retail settings due to social distancing rules. Instead of face-to-face contact, many people now prefer to pay or access store or account information using self-service retail technologies. As a result, the kiosk marketplace is quickly growing and where you need to be investing – and operating – right now.
NEED KIOSK INSPIRATION?
Do you have any ideas around the types of kiosks you would like to build? Here are a couple of interesting examples to give you food for thought. You’ll see their uses are wide and far-reaching.
Reducing and monitoring jail populations
Across the U.S., jails released inmates in the early days of the pandemic in an effort to mitigate the virus’ rapid spread in densely populated facilities. This caused concern among members of the public. To help alleviate those worries, many jurisdictions turned to technology to increase monitoring of released inmates. More specifically, kiosks were used to record required check-ins from start to finish by:
· Using biometric fingerprint authentication to confirm identity
· Capturing photos and video of each check-in
· Testing for alcohol use
· Alerting the probation officer when a check-in is missed
Kiosk Business: King in airports
Kiosks are also increasing in popularity in airports as they have multiple functions that are useful for both travellers and staff. For example, they can help people safely navigate the fastest route to a gate, which is often difficult in huge airports such as London Heathrow or Tokyo Haneda airport.Kiosks are also highly effective tools for feeding security notices out en-masse in emergency situations.
Of course, they can also provide other useful information for travellers through hotel, food and entertainment advertisements, lost and found updates and real-time flight change notifications. Kiosks also connect travellers with all-important promotional services provided by the airport and its vendors, such as rental car companies. In other words, whatever the communication requirement may be, kiosks are a great way to get messaging out to the public quickly – whether in a personalized or widespread manner.
There are plenty of other wild and wonderful kiosk use cases out there too. You can seek inspiration and have some fun by reading this article, which is full of real as well as fake kiosk examples. Just remember, you don’t need to build wild and wonderful kiosks in order to reap the benefits of their popularity! Often, the simple solutions are the most effective: from frictionless or touch-free payment solutions to contact-free ticketing, there are many ways to build a profitable OEM kiosk business.
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Kiosk Business Tips — DID YOU KNOW?
Whether you need wall-mounted, desk-mounted, outdoor, or customized kiosks for your customers, Zebra can provide you with the scan engines and solutions to help build your kiosks with speed and ease. We have decades of experience in the design and build of scanning technologies, and our engineering capabilities include optical, mechanical, electrical, and regulatory, which we can call upon to help you design and build everything from retail, education, or healthcare kiosks to a casino and self-ticketing kiosks. The sky’s the limit.
Don’t let resource constraints or fear of the unknown keep you from taking advantage of the opportunity to grow your business. The Zebra team is here to help you – and we can get your products to market faster than if you go it alone. It’s not a case of starting completely from scratch with kiosks because we’re right here for you.
Download our application briefs for OEMs to find out more about how Zebra can assist and inspire you!
I also encourage you to listen to this recent webinar led by my colleague Jelle Baudouin about the current demand (and opportunity for) kiosks right now:
Richard Thompson has worked in the IT & Telecommunications Industry for almost 30 years and has held sales, management and senior management roles in a number of global organizations. He is currently the Global Director of Sales for the OEM business within Zebra Technologies which in turn is part of Zebra’s Global Sales & Services Organisation. Richard is responsible for the sales of key component technologies which Zebra manufactures and sells to a hugely diverse range of customers around the world who build these components into their own final products.
Editors Note: Peerless-AV has created new SmartMount® solutions for Microsoft® Surface™ Hub 2S and 2X! These new solutions include a cart and wall mount, and provide a low profile, connected option for corporate installations.
The new SmartMount® Cart (SR560-HUB2) was designed to safely mount, mobilize, and store the 50.5″ Microsoft® SurfaceTM Hub 2S and 2X. Also designed as a permanent mounting solution for the 50.5″ Microsoft® Surface™ Hub 2S and 2X, Peerless-AV’s SmartMount® Flat Wall Mount (SF640-HUB2) incorporates a circular design to perfectly match the rear of the Surface™ Hub.
For more information on these new solutions, see the press release below. You can click on the pictures for larger image.
Peerless-AV® Creates New SmartMount® Solutions for Microsoft® Surface™ Hub 2S and 2X
New solutions, including a cart and wall mount, provide a low profile, connected option for corporate installations
AURORA, Ill. – August 25, 2020 – Peerless-AV®, an award-winning designer and manufacturer of the highest quality audio and video solutions and accessories, is pleased to announce the newest generation of SmartMount® Solutions including the SmartMount® Cart (SR560-HUB2) and SmartMount® Flat Wall Mount (SF640-HUB2), both for use with the Microsoft® Surface™ Hub 2S and 2X.
The new SmartMount® Cart (SR560-HUB2) was designed to safely mount, mobilize, and store the 50.5″ Microsoft® SurfaceTM Hub 2S and 2X. The cart is load rated up to 65lb, holds the display at Microsoft’s recommended viewing height (55″), and offers vertical adjustment so the display can be positioned at incremental heights 48″ to 60″ from the floor. With the capability of display rotation from landscape to portrait without interference, the cart offers the flexibility users need. The cart also provides clearance to the removable compute cartridge so this can be upgraded without removing the display. The locking 4″ casters provide a stable foundation for touch applications and cable management channels completely hide the cabling inside the uprights. The cart’s robust feature set makes it an ideal solution for corporate, education, hospitality or any application that requires mobility with a seamless look.
Designed as a permanent mounting solution, specifically for the 50.5″ Microsoft® Surface™ Hub 2S and 2X, Peerless-AV’s SmartMount® Flat Wall Mount (SF640-HUB2) incorporates a circular design to perfectly match the rear of the Surface™ Hub. This design ensures direct access to the power and data connections, as well as complete access to the compute cartridge for easy removal and installation without interrupting the display. With a simple Hook-and-Hang™ installation, the mount positions the display close to the wall for a sleek, ADA compliant installation, creating a low-profile mounting solution for the Microsoft® Surface™ Hub 2S and 2X.
Peerless-AV’s SmartMount® Cart and Flat Wall Mount solutions for the Microsoft® Surface™ Hub 2S and 2X are available via Peerless-AV direct sales representatives and authorized distribution networks. For more information about these innovative mounting solutions, please contact a Peerless-AV Sales Representative: www.peerless-av.com/pages/sales-contacts
About Peerless-AV®
Driving Technology Through Innovation
For over 75 years, passion and innovation continue to drive Peerless-AV® forward. We proudly design and manufacture the highest quality products, including outdoor displays and TVs, complete integrated kiosks, video wall mounting systems, professional carts and stands, and more. Whether a full-scale global deployment or custom project, Peerless-AV develops meaningful relationships and delivers world-class service. In partnership with Peerless-AV, you are trusting an award-winning team of experts who will support your business every step of the way. For more information, visit peerless-av.com.
Health Screening Kiosk Unattended by Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc.
Editor Note: New health screening kiosk aka temperature kiosk by Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. does temperature screening the best way — in two ways.
One is by asking the recommended CDC questions that employees need to answer. They relate to fever or feeling feverish (chills, sweating), new cough, difficulty breathing, and sore throat.
The second way is also performing an infrared sensor reading of skin temperature. The sensor is infrared medical grade. We would recommend performing these types of checks at entry as well as when they exit the premises. At exit, the outside factors are eliminated and the electronic temperature sensor has a higher probability of identifying consistent and more accurate temperatures.
Worth noting the unit is capable of controlling door access (either a door lock or door unlock option) a dry contact relay is included with the system for interfacing with virtually any door/turnstile lock mechanism. No printing.
GRAFTON, WI – Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. has partnered with Data Display Systems, a technology company that engineers electronic display systems, to develop a kiosk solution for employers looking to enact health screening and temperature checks at their worksites.
The kiosk screens employees and visitors through customizable health compliance questions as well as temperature testing using sophisticated sensor technology. Results are then communicated to a remote content management system that provides a secure record of compliance traceability using nondescript user identification.
The result is a health screening and temperature kiosk that not only promotes safer conditions in a large workplace, but provides accurate readings, communicates data in real-time, and drastically reduces the costs of employing a dedicated
temperature checker.
“We are excited to team with Frank Mayer and Associates to introduce a comprehensive system that protects employees and visitors while providing businesses with complete traceability,” says Bob Gatta, Chief Executive Officer at Data Display Systems, LLC. “This enables businesses to securely document compliance with CDC, state and local guidelines to sustain long-term business operations.”
“Businesses are looking for safe and effective ways to maintain workplace safety,” Mike Mayer, President at Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. adds. “With the health screening and temperature kiosk, we’re providing companies with an easy way to protect employees while saving costs on other, more expensive options.”
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. is a leader in the development of in-store merchandising displays, interactive kiosks, and store fixtures for businesses nationwide. The company helps retailers and brands utilize the latest display solutions and technologies to create engaging customer experiences. Visit www.frankmayer.com for more information.
Data Display has cemented itself as a world leader in electronic display systems, earning multiple POPAI awards for creative engineering. Its emphasis on in-house engineering and prototyping, developing hundreds of custom circuits coupled with software development, and customer service distinguishes their products and collaborative creative process.
Reopening during the COVID-19 “new normal” brings a unique set of challenges for employers, starting with how to keep your employees and visitors safe.
The Center for Disease Control’s current guidelines recommend that employers should offer daily health screening checks before allowing entry into a facility.
Daily Proof of Screening
Kiosk Group’s CheckPoint Kiosk allows you to easily screen employees and visitors with a simple set of health screening questions. After screening, a date-stamped badge is printed for easy identification within your facility.
This touchless kiosk solution reduces the risk of COVID-19 transmission in your facility while protecting individuals’ privacy.
Simple, Touchless Interface
The kiosk interface is voice-activated for touchless interaction, reducing touch points that could potentially transmit the virus. The interface also supports touch for visitors who are unable to interact by voice or just prefer touch. An optional holder for sanitizer wipes or hand sanitizer is available separately to help keep visitors safe.
On-screen instructions show visitors exactly how to use the kiosk and what to expect.
COVID-19 Screening Solution
A date-stamped badge is printed after screening.
Voice Activated
The kiosk informs employees & visitors that they must be screened before entering.
Quick Screening
This screening consists of a short series of questions based on CDC guidelines for eligibility to work, including questions about fever, symptoms, and possible exposure.
Print Badge
People deemed to be low-risk receive a printed badge which must be worn at all times while in the facility. The badge includes the day of the week and date in clear, large text that can be easily checked while still maintaining adequate social distancing.
Next-Step Instructions
Anyone in a high-risk group is asked to leave the facility immediately and receives a printed set of instructions on what to do next.
How It Works
Privacy First
Designed around the idea of privacy first, our screening kiosk does not store any identifying data about those who have been screened. By providing physical proof that a visitor or employee has undergone screening, this solution avoids the privacy and security issues that affect many traditional check-in solutions.
Since 2006, Kiosk Group has been transforming self-service ideas into dynamic tablet kiosk solutions. Your business has special needs — let us show you how we can help.
Pursuant Health said the ADA’s test, which helps build public awareness of the risks for type 2 diabetes, will be available through its more than 3,600 health kiosks in retail pharmacy locations, including such chains as Walmart and Safeway. Plans call for Pursuant’s kiosks to offer the test for three years, starting in November recognition of American Diabetes Month.
Pursuant Health kiosks for Diabetes to offer Risk Test – CDR – Chain Drug Review was last modified: August 27th, 2020 by Kiosk Industry
The workhorse printer for many kiosk manufacturers is the KR403 and the KR203 kiosk printers. These have been around in one iteration or another for over 20 years. There are many other printers which replace the 203/403 but the closest we have seen in the Boca Lemur-Z printer (pictured next to 403 in feature image). Looks to be identical drop-in-replacement for existing mounts.
History
Some history on these printers. They were originally from Sweden and Tommy Wincent was the owner/president. Circa 1999. For the longest time the main company providing was Swecoin US and Elaine Bresnick. Their big break came when IBM signed on for OEM. Swecoin. The big selling point was the Loop Presenter. Eventually they moved production to Europe (Poland?) and suffered some quality issues. Zebra swooped in and bought them and had a good business for a long time. Recently the wide A4 8000 was discontinued and most of us in the industry have been waiting/expecting for the other foot to drop. Worth a nice scotch and nice cigar…
Announcement in NA and EMEA regions.
Kiosk KR403 and KR203 standard channel printers: End of Sale (EOS)
PMB-AIT10235: End of Sale of Kiosk KR403 and KR203 standard
channel printers in NA and EMEA regions as final phase-out of Kiosk printers.
1. Transition Overview
Advance notice of Final phase-out of Kiosk printers.
End of Sale announcement of Kiosk KR403 and KR203 standard channel printers in NA and EMEA regions.
Please note: This EOS announcement does not apply to custom KR403 and KR203 printers in NA and EMEA regions.
Existing custom KR403 and KR203 printers will be available until the end of 2021.
Effective immediately Zebra will no longer accept any new customization requests for Kiosk printers.
2. Product Transition Timeline and Mapping Table
Product Transition Timeline*
Date
Last Channel Return Date November 1, 2020
Last Book Date December 31, 2020
Last Ship Date March 31, 2021
End of Service Date December 31, 2026
* Note: Any changes to above timeline will be communicated via a revised Distributor Notice (DN) and/or
Product Marketing Bulleting (PMB).
Editor Note: It is worth noting that the End of Life notices for the Zebra printers are in full force. There are many other printers which replace the 203/403 but the closest we have seen in the Boca printer (pictured next to 403 in feature image). Looks to be identical drop-in-replacement for existing mounts. An older iteration of the 403 is the Swecoin 7000 series which was the original model.
August, 21, 2020, Boca Raton, FL
The Zebra KR403 is on your left and the Boca Lemur-Z is on the right. Click for a full size image and a good detailed view
BOCA’s Lemur-Z kiosk printer has attracted attention from kiosk manufacturers and end-users as a seamless replacement for older printer models, like Zebra’s KR403 and KR203. The Lemur-Z makes a costly kiosk re-design unnecessary, as customers can easily swap-out their legacy printer for the BOCA replacement.
Click image to see full size image
The Lemur-Z comes standard with a presenter and is available with a host of optional features, including roll holder, Ethernet, WiFi or Bluetooth interfaces, and low paper sensor.
For forty years, BOCA has been a leading manufacturer of ticket, kiosk and receipt printers. BOCA’s printers are installed worldwide and are known for their speed, reliability and durability. Although BOCA’s wide range of products supports a variety of applications, BOCA’s engineering team welcomes unusual projects where they can take advantage of their expertise in printing, barcode, and RFID technologies. Customers benefit from BOCA’s unique position as a manufacturer of both printers and stock, including tickets, wristbands, and labels. BOCA produces over 1 billion tickets each year, and the company stands behind our product with our free print head replacement policy.
BOCA’s Lemur-Z Provides Easy Replacement for Zebra’s KR403/203 Kiosk Printer was last modified: August 27th, 2020 by News Editor
One of 10 or so diagrams of distance and accessibility for wheelchair users. This is the most common structural regulation along with sight and hearing impaired.
Too often when projects requirements are detailed, ADA and accessibility considerations are often reduced to the simple phrase, “Must be ADA compliant”. This statement is open to definition and inevitably results in range of bids with widely different ADA “compliance”.
The Kiosk Manufacturer Association has looked at the various ADA regulations in the marketplace and distilled the “kiosk applicable” regulations. There are actually two sets the KMA provides.
Current regulations as stated. These are the currently mandated regulations. These have been reviewed by the U.S. Access Board. One of the main future objectives of the U.S. Access Board is harmonizing the U.S. regulations with the European regulations so there is one worldwide standard. The reference docs for this include:
ADA 2010
Section 508
DOT Air Carrier Access
Other standards to consider: Canadian standards, WCAG, European EN301-549 as well as EMV, state jurisdictional laws and supplemental regulations such as HIPAA, Medical, UL and more.
Code of Practice (Going Forward) – taking the existing standards and restructuring them along with adding in some new technology (voice command e.g.) the KMA developed the Code of Conduct going forward. The intent is to have this ANSI certified and referenced by the U.S. Access Board.
Definitions and Applicability – A note about other standards – certain kiosks may be subject to additional standards. Examples: Airport kiosks must comply with the standards defined by the Air Carrier Access Act. Kiosks procured for federal contracts (or purchased by some municipal and education customers) must comply with the Revised Section 508 Standards. ATMs 2010 ADA, etc.
Functional Performance Criteria
302.1 thru 302.9
Installation & Environment
Clear Floor or Ground Space
Closed Functionality
Biometrics
Privacy
Standard Connections
Operable Parts
407 Operable Parts
408 Display Screens
409 Status Indicators
410 Color Coding
411 Audible Signals
Software
General (501)
Interoperability with Assistive (502)
Captions 1.2.2
Audio Description 1.2.3
Contrast 1.4.3
Low Audio 1.4.7
No Background
Focus Order
Focus Visible
Pointer Cancellation
Target Size
On Focus
Error Identification
Labels or Instructions
Tactility, Voice Recognition and Speech Command
Visual Display Screens
Tactilely Discernible Controls.
Alphabetic keys
Numeric Keys
Audible Output
Voice Recognition and Speech Command
Recommendations for distribution
It is recommended that only ‘accessible’ kiosks be installed until 25% of the total kiosk population in any given location, grouping, common purpose or application meet Standards for Accessible Design
This minimum kiosk population density applies to owned, jointly owned, leased, shared use, controlled, franchised or operated kiosks or other ICT terminals deployed in public spaces, public amenities and in places of public accommodation or service.
To comply with the ACAA Standards for Accessible Design only ‘accessible’ kiosks should be installed until 25% of the kiosk population meets the requirements for Accessible Design.
To comply with the ACAA, 25% of the kiosk population, located together for a common purpose(s), in a group, line or other configuration, must be compliant by December 12th 2022
Acknowledgments –
Contributing KMA sponsors – Olea Kiosks, KioWare, Nanonation, Pyramid, Frank Mayer, Vispero, ZIVELO, KIOSK Information Systems, DynaTouch, TurnKey Kiosks, 22 Miles, Peerless AV, Parabit Systems, Qwick Media, LG-MRI, Lexmark, Intel Corporation, AudioEye, PROVISIO, Kiosk Group, OptConnect, CSA Self-Service, Storm Interface, Tech For All, Mimo Monitors, UCP Unattended Payments, OTI Global and Evoke.
Additional Consulted – IMPRESA, TouchPay, Acquire Digital, Self Service Networks, Panel Brite, TTCE, SEKO MedTec, Marathon, CUSTOM, TOKENWORKS, Insight Touch, Microcom, TECA, STEGO, Practical Automation, Ingenico, Esper. IO, Axiohm, TDS TOUCH, Evolis, BOCA Systems, URway Holdings, Alveni, Kiosk Innovations and Apriva. We also recognize multiple retailers, the RNIB (via proxy), NCR Dundee and the University of Maryland for their contributions.
For more information
The KMA provides this information in complete form to any and all companies looking to deploy a self-service kiosk project or having deployed a self-service kiosk project. For qualified deployers (state, local and federal agencies) a small administration fee of $249 is the only cost. For manufacturers and vendors there is a separate pricing structure based on company size. Contact craig@kma.global or call at 720-324-1837.
Kiosk ADA Accessibility Guidelines – August 2020 KMA Framework Available for Purchase was last modified: August 27th, 2020 by News Editor
Click to see full size image of voice command microphone for self-service by Storm Interface
Storm-Interface News Link – Self Service Terminals with voice recording, voice recognition or speech command features are now deployed in public locations. However, this has raised concerns about privacy and led to calls for the government to review privacy regulations.
The presence of any active (recording) microphone must be immediately obvious to anyone within recording range. It may also be required that microphones situated in public spaces are, by default, maintained in a muted (or closed) condition until required for use.
To indicate the presence of an active recording system the Storm ATP Microphone Activation Sensor features a highly visible and tactile microphone icon. The device also includes an infrared (IR) proximity sensor that can be used to activate a microphone for Speech Recording or Voice Commanded applications. When a microphone is activated (live) the microphone icon is illuminated with a bright white light. An audio tone or message can also be triggered to indicate the mic is now ‘live’. A confirmation key press or screen tap can also be requested to confirm agreement.
As manufacturers of microphones strive to achieve ever wider fields and range of voice reception, Storm have recognized that this is not appropriate when voice recognition technology or concierge services are provided in a public environment. “It is our objective to provide high-fidelity voice reception within a strictly limited field of reception designated as the Addressable Zone”, says Peter Jarvis (Senior Exec VP). This Beam Focusing technology limits voice reception or voice recording to the zone immediately in front of the terminal. Only when that zone is occupied by an informed (microphone aware) terminal user will the microphone be activated.
This defined field of reception and confirmed presence of a valid user also reduces the amount of non-relevant voice data analysis. As an example; consider a drive-through food ordering point. If the beam focused microphone can be automatically muted when there is no-one in the addressable zone, then the system is not required to continuously analyse or differentiate between traffic noise, barking dogs and a human voice to correctly interpret a valid food order.
This method of targeted voice analysis can be achieved by use of the Mic Activation Sensor used in combination with Storm’s beam focused Far Field Voice Array Microphone. Both devices are designed and constructed to survive in exposed or public environments.
For more than 30 years Storm Interface have designed and manufactured secure, rugged and reliable keypads, keyboards and interface devices. Storm products are built to withstand rough use and abuse in unattended public-use and industrial applications. Storm Assistive Technology Products are recognized by the Royal National Institute for Blind People under their ‘RNIB Tried and Tested’ program.
Editor Note: Microcom issued press release for a new feature found on their 2″ and 3″ kiosk printers. They are calling it a pinch holder. This is basically a presenter meant for labels and thick materials: entertainment tickets, cinema tickets, visitor management badges, tags, wristbands. Thickness up to 7.5 mil thick. There is an illuminated bezel option as well, just like what is found on the receipt printer.
Microcom Corporation introduces a new pinch holder for thermal ticket printer with purpose of dispensing labels, tickets, and other thick materials.
Lewis Center, OH,
Click for full size image
August 25, 2020 – Microcom Corporation is pleased to introduce a new pinch holder available for 238M and 338M kiosk printers. The 238M and 338M are 2” and 3” wide print mechanisms that can be configured in a variety of ways to reliably print on an assortment of materials including labels, tickets, tags, wristbands, and continuous roll paper.
Executive Vice President, Steve Wolfe explains, “The kiosk market is always finding new ways to provide solutions to existing problems. Self-service is moving beyond the self-checkouts found in grocery stores.
Click for full size image
Kiosks now allow people to tag their own luggage, ship and label packages, weigh your own produce; COVID-19 has accelerated the adoption of these kiosks, as well. That’s why we created a new pinch holder that works with thicker materials because standard presenters are only reliable with receipt-style papers.”
The new pinch holder is paired with a heavy-duty, guillotine cutter to create a configuration capable of cutting and presenting materials up to 7.5 mils (.0075”) thick. It can be programmed to hold a ticket for a desired amount of time or until taken by a user. An optional illuminated bezel can be added to this configuration as well.
CheckPoint Kiosk is a non-thermal camera, health screening kiosk that allows you to easily screen employees and visitors with a simple set of health questions. After screening, a date-stamped badge is printed for easy identification within your facility.
Does the kiosk include thermal temperature screening?
No. CheckPoint does not include thermal temperature screening and instead asks the user a series of questions to determine their risk level. Since thermal cameras have not been proven completely reliable and many infected people are asymptomatic, the CheckPoint kiosk depends on CDC-approved screening questions.
How can I tell if someone has passed screening?
After successful screening, a date-stamped badge is printed with the day of the week, date, and time in large text. Everyone in your facility must wear a badge with the current day clearly showing at all times.
How are new visitors coming in notified of the screening requirement?
Anyone coming into your building is instructed to stop for screening by the large graphic panel mounted on the rear of the kiosk. We recommend placing the kiosk close to the front entrance in a position where it cannot be missed.
Is any identifying data stored about the person being screened?
No. US employment law tightly regulates how health data of employees is stored and managed. While emergency exceptions have been carved out during the current pandemic, these exceptions are not clearly defined and can expose a business to significant liability.
How many kiosks do I need?
You will most likely need a kiosk for every entrance into your facility. If you have a high volume of employees or visitors entering at a single time, you may want to consider additional kiosks to expedite screening and encourage social distancing. You may choose to limit alternate entrances while running screening and instruct people coming into your facility to use one or more primary entrances. If you need a way to direct individuals to these entrances, we offer custom printed signage as an optional add-on.
Will voice-recognition work in noisy environments?
Voice-recognition requires that the iPad’s microphone can clearly distinguish the user’s voice from background noise. Noisy environments can interfere with recognition. In this case, the user can touch the on-screen answers. A 1 hand sanitizer pump bottle is mounted on the kiosk if users wish to sanitize their hands after interacting with the screen. If you are installing CheckPoint in a noisy environment where voice recognition is unlikely to be successful, please notify us when ordering so we can provide a version of the software and signage that removes the voice activation feature.
How long does screening take?
Initial screening generally takes less than one minute. As employees become more familiar with the questions, this time decreases to 30 seconds or less.
What questions are asked during screening?
After asking the user to agree to wear a mask and practice social distancing within the facility, CheckPoint asks each individual about fever, symptoms, and possible exposure. A complete set of questions and the decision tree can be reviewed here.
Individuals are deemed to be high-risk if they:
● have had a fever over 100.4° F (38.0° C) or used any medicine to reduce a fever in the last 24 hours
● have had symptoms associated with COVID-19 in the last 14 days, including fever or feeling feverish (chills, sweating), new cough, difficulty breathing, sore throat, muscle aches or body aches, vomiting, diarrhea, or new loss of taste or smell and symptom onset was less than 10 days ago or symptoms are not improving
● have reason to believe that they been exposed to or acquired COVID-19 in the last 14 days, This is in line with current CDC guidelines and will be updated if that guidance changes.
Can I customize the questions?
No. Questions are based on the current Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations for health screening and discontinuance of isolation for individuals showing symptoms. However, messages shown when a person fails screening can be customized (see below for details).
Will the questions be updated when Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidance changes?
Yes. We are monitoring the CDC’s website and will update questions automatically when their recommendations change.
What happens when a visitor or employee fails screening?
A label is printed with instructions on what the person should do next. The text shown and printed can be customized separately for visitors and employees and updated from within the app’s settings.
How much does each kiosk cost?
The price per kiosk is $4,195 US plus tax and includes shipping anywhere in the continental United States.
Do you offer volume discounts?
Discounts are available for single purchase orders over 50 units. Please contact hardware-sales@kioskgroup.com for special volume pricing incentives.
How do I pay for the kiosk?
Contact a Kiosk Group Sales professional at hardware-sales@kioskgroup.com to start the process. Our experienced representatives will send you a form to get required information. Upon receipt of that information, we will send a complete quote outlining all of the solution details, pricing and tax. You can accept and pay online, call our office at 301-732-4629 x116 to provide your credit card over the phone, or pay via ACH (with bank information will be provided upon request).
What components are included?
The CheckPoint kiosk includes:
● Roo printer kiosk – steel enclosure with durable silver powder coat paint finish; rear keyed-lock access for full-front printer label replenishment.
● 10.2 “ iPad enclosure with microphone access grill – black textured ABS construction for easy cleaning, secure toolhead lock located beneath enclosure for easy removal if needed
● Star Micronics TSP743II Bluetooth printer – high speed for commercial use
● Roll of label stock (900 labels)
● Sanitizer pump bottle for hand sanitizer (hand sanitizer gel not included)
● Disposal bin for printed label backing
● Rear-mounted sign with easy-to-understand instructions
● Power strip for standard power outlet
● QuickStart instructions + hardware kit
● Packaging with pallet & shipping within the continental US
A 10.2-inch iPad with Retina display, 32 GB of storage, and WiFi is included as a separate one-year lease with options to renew leasing if continuing to use CheckPoint or buy out at the end of use for a $1 payment.
While this is structured as a lease, you are under no obligation to return the tablet to Kiosk Group.
The CheckPoint software is included as a separate annual subscription and requires the iPad to be leased from Kiosk Group for installation and use. Pay-In-Advance 2-year software incentive – pay for 2 years now, save $300 per unit, 2 nd year software renewal subscription fee only $695.
Additional coverage for the printer and tablet are available as optional add-ons.
Why must the iPad be leased from Kiosk Group?
The CheckPoint kiosk comes with software pre-installed and ready to go out of the box. To provision and manage the iPad tablet, we use Apple’s Device Enrollment Program (DEP) and mobile
device management software. In addition, the CheckPoint app is distributed as a Custom B2B app through Apple Business Manager (ABM). Apple’s terms for these programs clearly state that Kiosk Group must retain ownership of the iPad while it is enrolled in our DEP or has the CheckPoint app installed.
What happens at the end of the iPad lease or when I no longer want to use CheckPoint?
If you want to continue to use CheckPoint screening, you will need to renew the existing iPad lease and software subscription. The cost for the annual renewal is currently $995 annually paid in advance. Otherwise, at the end of the lease period or when you choose to no longer use the CheckPoint screening, you can return the iPad or buy out the lease for a $1 payment. After the buyout, the iPad will be released from Kiosk Group’s Device Enrollment Program account, wiped remotely to remove the Checkpoint software and mobile device management profile, and ownership
officially transferred.
What happens if the leased iPad is damaged or lost?
The customer assumes responsibility for the iPad for the full lease term. If the iPad is damaged, lost, or stolen during this period, you must notify Kiosk Group immediately and will be responsible for paying for a replacement if you want to continue to use CheckPoint. Additional AppleCare+ coverage is available as an optional add-on at the time of purchase and covers up to
two incidents of accidental damage with a deductible. See below for details.
I already have my own iPads – can I use these for CheckPoint instead of leasing?
For deployments of more than 100 kiosks, we can optionally set up a separate instance of the CheckPoint app that would be linked to your organization’s Apple Business Manager account. In this instance, you would be responsible for provisioning and managing the iPads on your own.
What am I responsible for providing?
Label stock, liquid hand sanitizer and a WiFi internet connection. While we provide an initial roll of label stock, subsequent refills are the responsibility of the end customer.
Additional cases of 12 rolls (900 labels per roll) can be purchased from Kiosk Group at a cost of $195 per case (approx. $.02/label). The kiosk ships with an empty pump bottle for hand sanitizer. Purchasing hand sanitizer to fill this bottle or replacing it with a new bottle is also the responsibility of the customer. If you do not want to offer hand sanitizer, the sanitizer mounting kit can be removed from the kiosk at any point.
Is an internet connection required?
Yes. CheckPoint is a hosted solution, which means an internet connection is required for use. If you do not have a reliable WiFi signal where the kiosk is to be placed, we can provide a kit to connect the iPad to wired Ethernet for an additional fee.
Can I customize the printed badges?
Pre-printed label stock can be used with CheckPoint if you want the badge to show your organization’s logo or imagery at the top of the badge. Please contact us to discuss how much of the label can be pre-printed and arrange for the alternate badge layout required.
Can I purchase additional badge labels?
Yes. Additional rolls of badge labels are available in cases of 12 rolls (with 900 labels per roll) for $195 per case.
Can I customize the graphic panel that comes with the kiosk?
Custom graphics for the rear panel are available for an additional $129 each.
Can the kiosk be set up outside?
No. CheckPoint kiosks are designed for indoor use and are not weather-proof.
How does shipping work?
The kiosk is shipped fully assembled on a pallet with protective packaging. The graphic panel packaged separately, ready to attach and set in place for plug-and-play operation. A QuickStart guide for connecting to power and WiFi, loading label stock into the printer and attaching the rear sign is also included. Packaging and freight shipping within the continental US are included for loading dock delivery. If a lift gate or indoor delivery is required, there will be an additional $100 fee.
What is required to set up the kiosk?
Software for your CheckPoint kiosk comes pre-installed and configured. For on-site setup, your team will need to:
● attach the graphic signage panel to the kiosk
● fill the provided sanitizer pump bottle or add your own bottle of sanitizer gel
● connect the iPad to power and WiFi
● connect the printer to power and confirm that the printer’s Bluetooth connection to the tablet is working
● launch the CheckPoint app
What tools are required for unpacking and assembly?
(pending answer)
How often does the printer need to be refilled?
Label stock for the printer comes with 900 labels per roll. How frequently this will need to be replaced will depend on traffic at your location. The CheckPoint kiosk opens through a keyed lock at the rear of the enclosure. The front hinges out to provide access to the printer. The top of the kiosk front should be supported with a hand while opening. Nothing has to be removed and changing out label stock should only take a couple of minutes.
Is technical support available?
We provide complete documentation for setting up your CheckPoint kiosk and email support is available weekdays from 9am to 5pm. For questions about the CheckPoint software, please contact software-support@kioskgroup.com. For questions about the kiosk enclosure and hardware components, please contact hardware-support@kioskgroup.com. For repairs or warranty coverage for the tablet or the thermal label printer, Kiosk Group will provide email contacts through our support portal once a ticket is opened. Please email hardware-support@kioskgroup.com for instructions.
What warranty is provided?
There is a one-year warranty on all items manufactured by Kiosk Group, including the kiosk enclosure and graphics. The tablet and all peripherals are provided with the manufacturer’s warranty only. Additional support and warranty coverage is available for each as an optional add-on. All software is provided as-is. If voice recognition is not possible in your facility due to background noise, an alternate version of the software without voice recognition will be provided. Graphic panels without the voice activation indicator are available for $129 each or can be substituted on request for the standard panel at the time of purchase for no additional charge.
Is additional support & warranty coverage available for the tablet and/or printer?
Yes.
Optional Swap-a-Star Printer Replacement – for $69 additional per unit, your kiosk can be registered with our printer partner, Star Micronics, who will be the printer replacement depot for your kiosk for 24 months from date of purchase. If a new printer is required after troubleshooting any printer issues, Star Technical Support will drop-ship a replacement printer to your location overnight. This coverage can only be added at time of purchase and is linked to the serial number associated with the printer.
Optional AppleCare+ Coverage – for $169 additional per unit, AppleCare+ extends your iPad warranty coverage to 24 months and includes up to two incidents of accidental damage coverage. Each incident is subject to a service fee of $49, plus applicable tax. AppleCare+ also adds 24/7 priority access to Apple experts by chat or phone. This coverage can only be added at time of purchase and is linked to the serial number associated with the iPad. This coverage is transferred along with ownership at the end of the lease.
What is the return policy for the kiosk?
Due to the current business environment, CheckPoint kiosks are not returnable. All sales are final.
Billing information needed:
● Company Name
● Contact name, phone number and email address
● Please note the information above must match the billing and contact information on your credit card. You may also pay by ACH.
● Billing street, city, state, zip code
Delivery address:
● Company Name
● Contact name, phone number and email address
● Shipping street, building number, etc.
● City, state, zip code
● Indicate whether tax-exempt or not and provide a copy of your tax exempt certificate.
KioskGroup Checkpoint FAQ For Voice Controlled COVID-19 Screening was last modified: August 23rd, 2020 by News Editor
Germicidal lamps emit radiation in the UV-C portion of the ultraviolet (UV) spectrum, which includes wavelengths between 100 and 280 nanometers (nm). The lamps are used in a variety of applications where disinfection is the primary concern, including air and water purification, food and beverage protection, and sterilization of sensitive tools such as medical instruments. Germicidal light destroys the ability of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens to multiply by deactivating their reproductive capabilities. The average bacteria may be killed in 10 seconds at a
The handheld, portable UVC Blade deactivates bacteria, viruses and fungi in hard to reach places and in environments that only need occasional exposure to UVC light. It is also an effective solution for mold remediation.
The Blade features an on/off safety switch, and a comfortable handle that minimizes grip discomfort. Hazard and Risks from Germicidal Lamp UV Radiation
UV radiation (UVR) used in most germicidal bulbs is harmful to both skin and eyes, and germicidal bulbs should not be used in any fixture or application that was not designed specifically to prevent exposure to humans or animals. UVR is not felt immediately; in fact, the user may not realize the danger until after the exposure has caused damage. Symptoms typically occur 4 to 24 hours after exposure. The effects on skin are of two types: acute and chronic. Acute effects appear within a few hours of exposure, while chronic effects are long-lasting and cumulative and may not appear for years. An acute effect of UVR is redness of the skin called erythema (similar to sunburn). Chronic effects include accelerated skin aging and skin cancer. UVR is absorbed in the outer layers of the eye – the cornea and conjunctiva. Acute overexposure leads to a painful temporary inflammation, mainly of the cornea, known as photokeratitis. Subsequent overexposure to the UV is unlikely because of the pain involved. Chronic exposure leads to an increased risk of certain types of ocular cataracts. Working unprotected for even a few minutes can cause injury. It is possible to calculate the threshold for acute effects and to set exposure limits. It is not possible, however, to calculate threshold for chronic effects; therefore, because no exposure level is safe, exposure should be reduced as much as possible.
UV-C Handheld Blade FAQ
How does one use it?
With the Blade unit, all you need to do is get it as close to the surface as possible and pass it over the surface. Being one inch away, a few seconds exposure kills all bacteria and virus.
How long does it take?
Some take a little longer than normal but a few seconds is plenty if 1 inch away
What is the wrong way to use them?
You don’t shine the light up or at anyone and the operator should wear safety glasses which we include with every unit
How does it handle oily fingerprints and smudges?
The surface should be wiped down for the best application
These should be used in off-hours when no customers or patients around? Example: the front lobby of VA where check-in’s are taking place.
They can be used 24 hours a day, you just need to have people stand back while you run the unit over the surface
Room Treatment — VidaShield UV air filtrations in every room/operatory, check them out at https://vidashield.com/. These rid the air of all bacteria, fungi and viruses every 15 minutes during business hours. There are HVAC mirrors with high-speed suction which will reduce aerosols during treatment along with the Isolite system, which dental offices have always used if needed during treatment.
CNN Health 4/26/2020 — article link –If sunlight kills coronavirus, why not try UV lamps?
Editors Note: Back in 2016, four years ago, we were given an award for developing UV-C technology embedded in a patient check-in kiosk. We looked at many potential solutions, and the final two candidates were UV-C and Copper. Copper has some real advantages, and it has the data and the approvals to go along with it. Like any other solution, though, it has its disadvantages. It kills bacteria, but the rate of kill is slower. It is safer, but it is more expensive. A targeted, comprehensive approach to battling bacteria is the best approach. In the end, for the kiosk, UV-C was the clear winner.
The question might be why were more not sold then. Good question. And we think the answer is again, a combination of factors. The two primary ones are 1st; there was no subsequent independent lab testing. That costs money, and a small company must be frugal—secondly, the cost premium. Too often, customers, even those in the public health sector, see the least price, and make the short term cheaper selection.
Four years later, they are maybe adding all types of antibacterial protection, and issuing press releases how they are “now” better serving their patients. They could have been sending out PRs that from the get-go, they have always cared. Plus they would’ve saved the additional money. And likely, fewer patients might have been infected at the hospital.
For a full wrap on antibacterial solutions, including Copper and UV-C, see the main Antibacterial page here onsite. We’ve included at the bottom of the article below, the useful UV-C links.
Our recommendations for these technologies at the current time?
Copper plodding on fixtures, handles in facilities is a good idea
Spot cleaning with handheld UV-C during maintenance cycles is good
There are now UV-C systems for ceiling lights which sanitize the air in the room (think sitting in a dentist office or chair e.g.)
The following is the originally posted press release from 4 years ago.
Videos
UV Antibacterial was last modified: August 23rd, 2020 by News Editor
COVID-19 has shifted the way we as a society views cleanliness and personal hygiene. There is a new importance placed upon these principles that many people are prioritizing over everything else in their day-to-day activities as evidenced by industries shifting to a mostly work-from- home -style schedule. When people aren’t in the safety of their own homes, it’s not uncommon to see them regularly applying hand sanitizer,; wearing masks in public areas,; and keeping an appropriate social distance from other people; and more habits that were not commonly seen before the global pandemic of 2020.
That begs the question as to how businesses can maintain regular operations while also keeping in mind the newfound importance of minimizing the spread of bacteria. A growing number of businesses is discovering that implementing a touchless interface to their self-service kiosks covers most of those bases. This is how a touchless kiosk interface does it:
1. A touchless kiosk interface allows for the same interaction without physically contacting the surface of the self-service device. Minimizing the amount of contact an end-user has with your self-service kiosk is one thing, eliminating it is another thing entirely. This can be accomplished by scanning a QR code to access a secure connection between the kiosk device and the end-user’s personal mobile device.
2. Maintaining a self-service kiosk option allows end-users to avoid person-to-person contact with your human workers. Over the past few months, researchers have narrowed down the most common way to transmit COVID-19: person-to-person. It is estimated that interactions between unmasked COVID-19 carriers and unmasked healthy individuals have a 90% chance of resulting in a healthy individual becoming infected. Masks greatly reduce the spread of infection but do not eliminate it, so providing self-service options to minimize person-to-person interactions where possible is essential.
3. Implementing a touchless kiosk solution helps the sanitization supply chain recover. Over the past five months, it has been extremely difficult to purchase cleaning and sanitization supplies. These products have been in such high demand to maintain a level of social cleanliness that suppliers have been operating on a perpetual back-order status since the start of the pandemic, and an alternate solution could alleviate some of that stress on the supply chain. Allowing people to interact with a kiosk through their own personal device will create a gap where products like hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes would normally be used to reduce the chance of pathogen spread. That begs the question as to how businesses can maintain regular operations while also keeping in mind the newfound importance of minimizing the spread of bacteria. A large number of businesses have discovered that implementing a touchless interface to their self-service kiosks has covered most of those bases. Here’s how a touchless kiosk interface does it:
4. A touchless kiosk interface allows for the same interaction without physically contacting the surface of the self-service device. Minimizing the amount of contact an end-user has with your self-service kiosk is one thing, eliminating is another thing entirely. This can be accomplished in a number of ways, one of them is scanning a QR code to access a secure connection between the kiosk device and the end-user’s
personal mobile device.
5. Maintaining a self-service kiosk option allows for end-users to avoid person-to-person contact with your human workers. Over the past few months, researchers have narrowed down the most common way to transmit COVID-19: person-to-person. It’s estimated that interactions between an unmasked COVID-19 carrier and an unmasked healthy individual has a 90% chance of resulting in the healthy individual becoming infected. Adding masks to the two hypothetical people in those scenarios begins to reduce the chance of infection, but never completely eliminates it. While COVID-19 can still be spread by touching some surfaces contaminated with the virus, it is far less likely to infect a person compared to a person-to-person interaction.
6. Implementing a touchless kiosk solution allows resources that are being otherwise drained to maintain a level of social cleanliness to recover due to a lack of necessity. Over the past five months it has been extremely difficult for anyone, businesses and consumers alike, to purchase cleaning and sanitization supplies like liquid solutions and paper products. There has been such a high demand that suppliers have been operating on a perpetual back-order over the duration of the pandemic and an alternate solution could alleviate that stress on the supply chain. Allowing for people to interact with kiosk through their own personal device will create a gap where products like hand sanitizer or sanitary wipes would normally be used to reduce the chance of pathogen spread.
To address the issue of spreading germs via kiosk touch screens long before COVID, KioWare Kiosk System Software began development on a touchless interface. The impact of COVID-19 accelerated development, and last month, KioWare introduced Allow me to introduce KioTouch™ — the a touchless kiosk interface solution designed by KioWare Kiosk System Software. KioTouch allows for an end-user to interact directly with a kiosk via their personal mobile device by scanning a QR code that is displayed on the attract screen. At that point, a trackpad-style mouse is displayed on the end-user’s device, giving them complete control of the kiosk ’s screen functionsjust as they would have control during normal, physical interface. The trackpad is responsive to clicks, swipes, and all other normal mouse functions. When If a field requires text to be entered, a simple click into the text field ofusing the trackpad onto the field will bring up a keyboard on the end-user’s device, allowing them to enter text as if they were sending a text message or e-mail. At the conclusion of the user’s session, KioTouch can be programmed to display content of the kiosk deployer’s choosing such as, but not limited to, a website, loyalty app, newsletter, or simple “thank you” message.
If you would like to see KioTouch in action, click here .
KioTouch is compatible with any kiosk system software and can be installed on any self-service device, whether it be a full-sized kiosk unit built into a display or a smaller device that would normally be handheld for the end-user. KioWare is not required to run KioTouch, but it is integrated into the latest versions of KioWare for Windows and KioWare for Android and easily activated with a subscription license. and can be installed on any self-service device, whether it be a full-sized kiosk unit built into a display or a smaller device that would normally be handheld for the end-user.
The world around us is changing. People are viewing the world through a new lens, one that emphasizes the importance of reducing germ and pathogen spread. This new perspective means businesses are going to need to get be creative with accommodating the sanitary desires of its customers or continue to deal with closures and limited services due to mandates put in place by governments. Creating a touchless experience with a seamless interface on self-service kiosks without sacrificing a seamless interface will be crucial to thriving in this new era of limited human interaction and higher standards of cleanliness and sanitation.
From IPVM members only article Aug2020 – IPVM released article covering Heimann. Heimann is one of the two main thermopile sensors (aka infrared) suppliers. China buys Heimanns and Melexis for use in its temperature tablets. Those are typically complemented by a camera and some software which typically highlights AI in the first sentence. These tablets generally retail on China markets for sub-1000 but there are relabelers in the U.S. charging much higher. KMA is a member of IPVM.
Heimann Sensors Article Excerpts:
Many fever tablet suppliers market German-made Heimann thermal sensors while the company touts its “Essential role in fighting the pandemic”.
We spoke with Heimann Sensor, and in this report, we examine:
Who is Heimann Sensor
What type of sensors Heimann offers
Are Heimann sensors accurate for medical applications
How are thermopiles different from microbolometers
Worldwide demand causing long lead times
Heimann Thermopile Sensors
Heimann offers a wide range of low-cost thermal devices called thermopile arrays in 6 common pixel-size variants from 8×8 to 80×64. Heimann arrays list price ranges from $19 to $270 USD per device. The most common sensors specifed by low-cost fever tablet suppliers are 32×32 or 16×16 and sell for ~$40 for quantities of 200 or more.
Thermopile Versus Microbolometers
The advantages of thermophiles include lower cost and no calibration; however, the disadvantages are lower resolution and less sensitive to variances in temperature. Heimann said that thermopiles are thermally stable and do not drift, unlike microbolometers, so they do not require continued calibration:
From the technical side, thermopiles are stable over time and don’t drift like microbolometers. Devices that drift have to include some method for re-establishing zero. This normally requires a shutter and its mechanism. Re-establishing zero is referred to as
“non-uniformity correction”, sometimes abbreviated as NUC. In this process, the shutter is closed, the electronics tells the microprocessor that there is no infrared input and everything is re-set to zero. Then the shutter is opened, and the measurement is made. However, as soon as the shutter is opened, the microbolometer starts its slow drift again. The NUC has to be performed regularly. From what I have seen, this happens every few minutes.
Thermopiles are less sensitive than microbolometers, are slower to detect changes in temperature, and because of the lower pixel count require a much smaller FoV to have the same pixel spot size.
Heimann said that thermopiles are less expensive and less complex:
From the economic side, thermopiles are less expensive than the microbolometers, which have to include the cost of the shutter assembly.
Not Medical Accuracy Calibrated From Factory
Heimann’s said their factory-calibrated accuracy typically offers ±1 – 2°C over a wide temperature range, and “higher accuracy” near body temperature, but cannot o er medical-grade accuracy calibration:
Notably, many China-made fever tablets market high accuracy performance, ±0.3°C, at 1′-3′ from the tablet. While there a few claiming greater (±0.2°C) or worse (±0.54°C), there is not a wide range of accuracy claims:
IPVM testing has shown that low-cost fever tablets frequently miss elevated skin temperatures and are less accurate than marketed.
Worldwide Demand Increase Causing Supply Issues
Heimann’s US Distributor, Boston Electronics, reported that worldwide demand has created long lead times: Be aware that the worldwide demand for these products is through the roof. Lead times are very long depending upon what you want. We can give you our best estimates of product availability.
Outlook
Regardless of tablet performance, this is clearly a boom for Heimann but IPVM is concerned about using these sensors to do fever /elevated temperature screening given the limitations of the Heiman sensors and OEMs use of compensating algorithms.
KI Notes
We would note in the case of FDA 510K submittals and approvals that there are none for infrared touchless temperature systems such as infrared. These devices have been adapted from the microwave, automotive (defoggers) and other industry uses.
Temperature Kiosk – The German Company Powering Many China Temperature Tablets (Heimann) was last modified: August 19th, 2020 by News Editor
From LinkedIn Aug2020 – Frank Olea, CEO of Olea Kiosks announced on LinkedIn yesterday his new outdoor ticketing kiosk, Geneva. Has some very nice engineered design features. Olea is at the top of outdoor kiosk design so it isn’t surprising at all to see this very nice unit.
Frank Olea CEO, Olea Kiosks Inc.
“I’m proud to announce our newest Kiosk model, the Geneva. This kiosk design is ultra-versatile and is available in Outdoor as well as Indoor versions. It’s our ‘Swiss Army Knife’ hence, Geneva.”
This new indoor / outdoor kiosk provides for printing tickets, wristbands, cards or even plain old receipts. The 27” high brite LCD display is sure to get the message out that you are open for business. This is also our first model to feature contactless touchscreen options as well.
A closer look
You can click the image and see a full screen image detailing the nice engineering touches Olea did.
New Outdoor Kiosk Model Released by Olea Kiosks for Outdoor Ticketing – the Geneva aka “the Swiss Army Knife” was last modified: August 17th, 2020 by News Editor
Peerless-AV‘s Xtreme Outdoor Digital Menu Boards were installed with EDM’s invigorating graphics to excite and engage customers in the BigFoot Java’s drive-thru. The new signage also provides the added benefit of easy maintenance, enabling menu updates to be done within the store.
Dynamic Digital Displays from EcoDigital Media & Peerless-AV® Drive Customer Engagement at BigFoot Java®
Weatherproof Digital Menu Boards Fuel the Chain’s Expansion with Engaging Dynamic Content
AURORA, Ill. – July 22, 2020 – EcoDigital Media (EDM), a national leader in digital signage and communications, and Peerless-AV®, a leader in audio visual solutions for over 75 years, recently partnered with BigFoot Java® (BFJ) to fuel the chain’s expansion. BFJ is located in Pacific, Washington, and currently has 34+ locations, with continued expansion in the near future. The partnership will enable BFJ to further streamline and energize customer service with fresh, inviting digital menus. EDM and Peerless-AV’s digital displays provide nimble adaptability for BFJ’s customer-driven strategies at the store, group, regional and corporate level.
Utilizing Peerless-AV’s XtremeTM Outdoor Digital Menu Boards and EDM’s turn key installation services and engaging menu content design, BFJ is pleased to be able to offer its customers with an updated drive thru coffee experience. The partnership of EcoDigital Media and Peerless-AV will aid to improve the coffee shop’s operation by enabling its menu and company content to be updated easily at any given time.
“A visual is processed thousands of times faster by the brain than text, triggers more profound emotional and sensory responses, and is remembered far better,” notes Kimberly Brecko, CEO of EDM. “Digital displays can promote new products, featured menu items, encourage additional purchases and help customers make decisions more quickly. We are proud to partner with BigFoot Java to move their customer engagement strategy to the next level.”
“We have not updated BigFoot Java’s static menus in several years, and in order to better meet the needs of our customers and our business, we are excited about the new digital menu boards made possible by EDM and Peerless-AV,” said Jennifer Whitmore, Owner of BigFoot Java. “Converting to digital menus will allow us to be more creative with how we present our tasty new offerings, while also positioning us for growth and continued expansion.”
“To many, a daily cup of coffee at the drive thru is a special ritual and we know that the patrons at BigFoot Java feel that way,” Brian McClimans, VP Sales, Peerless-AV. “Peerless-AV is proud to be able to partner with EcoDigital Media in aiding businesses with updates to their digital signage. What’s best is the end result – helping restaurants and coffee shop’s meet their business goals and to help better serve the BigFoot Java community.”
About EcoDigital Media: EDM is a nationwide industry leader in digital signage communication. EDM builds customer relationships by harnessing the power of digital media. Based out of Vancouver, Washington, EDM works with mid-level enterprise companies to boost marketing efforts, transform nonprofit stewardship, and increase demand generation efforts. As an integrator EDM facilitates, designs and manages how clients use digital multimedia systems and dynamic content to communicate more effectively with clients and their client base. For more information, visit ecodigitalmedia.com.
About Peerless-AV®: For over 75 years, passion and innovation continue to drive Peerless-AV® forward. We proudly design and manufacture the highest quality products, including outdoor displays and TVs, complete integrated kiosks, video wall mounting systems, professional carts and stands, and more. Whether a full-scale global deployment or custom project, Peerless-AV develops meaningful relationships and delivers world-class service. In partnership with Peerless-AV, you are trusting an award-winning team of experts who will support your business every step of the way. For more information, visit peerless-av.com.
About BigFoot Java: Founded in early 2000, BigFoot Java® strives to always have fun while providing a legendary coffee experience with each customer visit. Based in Pacific, Washington, BFJ is proud to honor the legend of BigFoot through providing the best coffee products in the Northwest. Serving up the Legendary Latte® and Mythical Mocha® as original recipes, BFJ focuses on creating premium drinks while also serving their community a side order of kindness. To learn more information, visit bigfootjava.com.
Connect with BigFoot Java via social media on Instagram and Twitter.
Peerless-AV and EcoDigital Media (EDM) recently teamed up to provide BigFoot Java, a coffee retailer located in Washington, brand new exciting digital display boards! was last modified: August 12th, 2020 by News Editor
Nice article by TPG (Vispero) and Laura Miller on how to write an RFP for Accessibility. Here is the link.
Of Note
Screen reading software such as JAWSor other similar alternative is required. Screen reading software will provide the end user with non-visual access support that enables the user to hear the screen’s content spoken aloud. It accomplishes this by way of a tactile input device incorporated into the kiosk.
About TPG
TPG works with organizations around the world, including government agencies, technology vendors, and companies in a variety of industries including retail/eCommerce, software/technology, publishing, banking/finance, healthcare, and higher education. Our services continuum allows us to provide targeted expertise on specific projects or to engage as a strategic partner on long-term engagements. We believe that with our partners and customers, we can collectively create a global impact on advancing accessibility. Learn more about the people who inspire us to keep pushing forward.
Our Affiliations
We’re a member of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). We are on the W3C Advisory Board, and members of the TPG team chair the Web Platform and Pointer Events Working Groups, facilitate Task Forces on CSS Accessibility and Silver (Accessibility Guidelines), and are editors for specifications including HTML, HTML Accessibility API Mappings, SVG Accessibility API Mappings, and Pointer Events. We are a member of the Teach-Access initiative. Working in collaboration with Facebook, Yahoo!, Microsoft and others, TPG is involved in many activities designed to make accessibility an integral part of the higher-education curriculum – ensuring designers and developers enter the work-force with the accessibility knowledge they need.
Having a digital signage temperature check kiosk to take a temperature verification check has seen a lot of interest recently. Temperature verification kiosks could be one strategy for re-opening business and assuring customers of safety.
Disney Point of View
Bob Iger, CEO of Walt Disney Co., is pondering what such a future would look like. Perhaps, he suggests, it would look like testing the temperatures of all of the guests before they enter the theme parks.
“One of the things that we’re discussing already is that in order to return to some semblance of normal, people will have to feel comfortable that they’re safe,” Iger said in an interview with Barron’s. “Some of that could come in the form, ultimately, of a vaccine, but in the absence of that, it could come from basically, more scrutiny, more restrictions. Just as we now do bag checks for everybody that goes into our parks, it could be that at some point we add a component that takes people’s temperatures, as a for-instance.”
Twitter reaction to the idea of testing all visitors before they are allowed inside the parks was swift and decidedly negative. Full article
Another industry looking to reassure is the airline travel industry.
“And when international aviation does start up again, there will be a need to protect and reassure passengers. Hand sanitizer will likely need to be available throughout the airport, including at boarding gates. “And there is evidence that temperature control at airports reassures passengers, even though it is only a partial solution,” says Powell. “Likewise, routinely wearing masks is contrary to WHO advice but passengers may prefer cabin crew to wear them initially.” See article on reassuring passengers from iata.org
22Miles Temperature Taking Kiosk Solution
Orimary solution is the Thermal Sensing Solution that comes with extensive application options and supports Windows and Android. Click here to see that information.
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22Miles
Available in 22”
Digital Signage content distribution through 22MILES platform
Body Temperature testing on the screen
Can be used at store entrance, hospital, corporate lobby, etc
There are many activities happening simultaneously to ensure a safe work environment. The Temperature Sensing Kiosk reduces the risk of infection to your employees and costly and time-consuming contamination clean-up efforts. Give employees and visitors the confidence to know you’re doing all you can do to protect them.
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The Temperature Sensing Kiosk provides a number of benefits to allow businesses to protect their most valued assets–their employees.
Stop infection at the door
Maintain a safe work/business environment
More hygienic than thermometers that require physical contact
Safer and more efficient than using a human resource to screen temperatures
Reduce stress and anxiety for employees and guests.
Our Temperature Scanning Kiosk allows for efficient and accurate self-scanning of guests, patients, and employees as they enter your facility. Please contact us if you are interested in learning more or visit our webpage for temperature sensing kiosks.
07/20 — Olea offers financing on temperature kiosks. $8 per day for a temp screening kiosk including shipping and extended onsite warranty when you finance. Compared to assigning and employee to scan everyone coming in the building not to mention safety it’s a no brainer really.
Pyramid Janus Health Kiosk for Temperature Verification
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Developed to help enterprises comply with new strict health-check and social distancing expectations. The Janus Solution has been developed to help enterprises comply with new strict health-check and social distancing expectations in the current and post-Covid-19 landscape. Janus is a turn-key market-ready solution powered by the Truyo Privacy Rights Platform. Ensuring privacy and security for all user data, and corporate compliance with global privacy regulations. Brochure Link
EvLite Temperature Check Kiosk
Screen customers and staff at the point of entry using our contact free, automatic temperature check station.
Face detection, can remind a user to wear a mask if not already
< 3 second detection rate using infrared technology
The non-contact temperature screening system is used to reopen the business and is more safety. Are you interested? Please feel free to email us: sales@insight-touch.com for more detail info.
Honeywell Thermal Imaging
CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ — Honeywell today announced a new temperature monitoring solution that incorporates advanced, infrared imaging technology and artificial intelligence algorithms to conduct non-invasive, preliminary screening of personnel entering a facility.
The Honeywell ThermoRebellion temperature monitoring solution can be rapidly deployed at the entryway of a factory, airport, distribution center, stadium or other commercial buildings to quickly and efficiently identify whether personnel exhibit an elevated facial temperature. As individuals pass in front of a high-resolution, thermal imaging camera, their skin temperature is automatically detected within two seconds and displayed on an accompanying monitor.
Nanonation Temperature Kiosks
Below are the links to Nanonation COVID-19 solutions, as well as a press release from our product launch.
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. Temperature Kiosk
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The kiosks combine best-in-class technology components, including TES America touch technology, to provide a commercial-grade solution with a long lifecycle for the business marketplace. TES America General Manager Gene Halsey says, “We are pleased to be involved in such an important project when employers are looking for answers during this unusually challenging time.”
Frank Mayer and Associates, Inc. President Mike Mayer added, “By combining our core competencies, Agile Force, TES America, and Frank Mayer and Associates are going to market with more than just a temperature screening kiosk. We’re solving the problem of health screening while also improving operational efficiencies for companies and enabling a safer, more engaged workforce.”
See the quick demo of contactless no touch touchless kiosk software using just your mobile. Software for lockdown and non-touch “use your mobile” software.
This new feature of KioTouch enables KioWare to track the number of user sessions, active time and total runtime since last cleaning, and have KioWare generate alerts based on two thresholds for each item: ie, a warning and error. It can be displayed to the kiosk user via a toolbar control or via our API, and it can send alerts to KWS/KioCloud to enable management to schedule cleaning. The maintenance staff enters a custom exit code to reset the counters when cleaning is completed. More information.
Marathon Deployment has been a valued resource for many OEMs due to our quality installations and customer service practices. Our team of trained service professionals cover the USA coast to coast, including parts of Canada.
Our hardware specialty is directed towards the following markets: Kiosk, Point of Sale, QSR, Retail, Digital Signage and Health Care. We have performed 1000+ of Kiosk and Digital Menu board installations!
Marathon Deployment consistently meet or exceed the expectations of our OEM’s and end clients. With a full range of services including: Pre-installation Surveys, hardware installations, Project Management. We provide National Rollouts for 10 to 5000 locations, and it doesn’t stop there. Additionally we have gone on to manage those installations with our aftermarket field services which include the same day or next day service.
Our customer service rivals the best in the business. Our ability to achieve high QSR grades is mainly due to our experienced technicians and dedicated office personal.
Consider Marathon Deployment for your next project or onsite service request.
New Sponsor – Marathon Deployment for kiosk installation and kiosk maintenance was last modified: August 4th, 2020 by News Editor
Custom America is excited to announce the availability of the all new Silk Android 15.6″ Touch Screen POS terminal. The Silk terminal offers an ultra slim design, vivid 1080p display, and Android 8.1 w/ Google™ Play Services.
DEVELOPER FRIENDLY
Gain root access with a single command, giving full control of the Android OS, allowing for complete customization without restrictions.
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth® 4.0
6 USB Ports
1 MicroSD slot
COM, LAN, RJ11 Ports
VESA Mountable
Available and in stock now, the Silk Android POS terminal is ready for purchase. For sales inquiries, please contact Custom America at (855) 287-8648 or email us at info@customamerica.com and we will respond to you as soon as possible.
Silk Android 15.6″ Touch Screen POS terminal – Product Announcement was last modified: August 4th, 2020 by News Editor
Custom content for KIOSK Information Systems by Retail Dive’s Brand Studio
Retailers across categories are developing new ways to provide their customers with exceptional experiences today and in a post-pandemic world. Many are turning to offering self-service options that can improve the in-store experience while helping them maintain stability in these uncertain times.
Digital self-service kiosks are helping retailers drive more traffic and sales, cut down on customer support costs, and capture purchasing data to optimize product and sales performance. And in deploying this technology, they’re also prioritizing a modernized customer experience that facilitates consumer needs as they regain confidence in physical retail interactions.
KIOSK and Retail Dive share six practical ways digital self-service is helping brands deliver the future of retail today:
Enabling contactless experiences and virtual customer service
Increasing in-store sales
Monetizing in-store real estate
Optimizing uptime during peak traffic
Improving staff deploymentSecuring the self-service solution
Offer customers an easy to use self-service kiosk as an easy and safe alternative to traditional ordering. Our customizable solution drives revenue by eliminating long lines and offering the perfect upsell with every order – happier customers means better business.
Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, GRUBBRR is a technology company dedicated to providing your business with the perfect ecosystem of products to maximize operational efficiency and ensure customer satisfaction. We offer technology that will efficiently take care of the front- and back-end of your business, while giving you the flexibility to manage everything as effectively as possible.
We do business with a variety of industries, ranging from restaurants to amusement parks to micro-markets and more. Our products are adaptable and beneficial to a multitude of businesses. Find out how we can help your business today.
Grubbrr Self-Order Kiosks was last modified: August 4th, 2020 by News Editor
MILPITAS, CA—While travelers have started to frequent hotels again, it will likely be a while before any sense of normalcy returns. To help hotels deliver a sense of safety to hotel employees and guests, 22Miles, which offers 3D wayfinding and digital signage technology, has launched a Protection-as-a-Service (PaaS) solution.
“It is likely that we will see an impact on travel at least through 2020, if not longer, with hopes that in 2021 we will start to see normalcy again,” said Tomer Mann, EVP, 22Miles. “The hospitality industry, like many others, took a big hit when the pandemic struck, but along with these challenges also comes new opportunities for hospitality management and executive leadership to adapt and still provide safe and memorable guest experiences.
“To continue to see growth in the travel and hospitality industry, there is a need to support public confidence by taking important operational measures to ensure safety and security,” he added. “One such way to do this is through the implementation of flexible digital signage and wayfinding technology designed specifically to tackle these new COVID-related challenges.”
Enter TempDefend, a protective digital signage communication and direction tool that uses 22Miles’ thermo-sensing technology, advanced camera hardware, facial and body temperature detection software, integrated sensors and dynamic machine learning algorithms for existing or new digital signage displays.
“TempDefend can be positioned at a building’s entrance or at interior building checkpoints, providing protection for hotel properties, to equip them with the ability to confidently open to employees and customers,” Mann said.
The plug-and-play solution is also touch-free: TempDefend delivers instruction via voice command to direct individuals into a camera frame. The thermal sensor technology can scan temperature from up to four feet away.
The best of in-store merchandising, interactive kiosks and store fixtures for brands and retailers nationwide.
The FMA Magazine Winter 2020 issue includes articles on:
5 Benefits of Remote Temperature Screening Kiosks With numerous fever detection devices available, remote temperature screening kiosks are the most beneficial, providing employee privacy and safety, while offering companies convenience and cost savings.
The Evolution of Video Game Retail Display Programs Emerging technological trends and innovative merchandising strategies have helped video game retail displays uniquely position products in front of the gaming audience of today – and tomorrow.
Five Reasons Why Your Restaurant Needs Self-Service Kiosks Lines, waiting, delays, and other inadequacies have become a routine part of the restaurant experience. Luckily, the perfect solution to this problem already exists in self-service kiosks.
Working with FMA
The world is changing, and so are we. We want to keep you abreast of our most up-to-date business procedures and communication methods as well as the retail technologies we’re researching every day.
FMA Magazine Summer 2020 – Temperature Screening. Video Game Retail, Restaurant Kiosks & Visual Merchandising was last modified: August 4th, 2020 by News Editor
Report from IPVM July 2020 – By: Isabella Cheng, Published on Jul 28, 2020 – Video surveillance is not the only market that has pivoted to medical device sales (admitted or not). Kiosk suppliers, hard hit by COVID-19, have also joined this emerging segment.
Inside this note, based on an interview with Craig Keefner, the manager of Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA) and editor of Kiosk Industry (KI), we examine where the kiosk market was before COVID-19 and how kiosk suppliers have rapidly ramped up temperature screening offerings.
Historic Kiosk Market Overview
Most kiosks are interactive, segmented into bank, self-service, and vending kiosks.
Prior to coronavirus, kiosks were most commonly used in retail situations, including in retail stores, self-service restaurants, hotels, airports, and malls.
COVID-19 Impacts Kiosk Suppliers
COVID-19 has impacted kiosk suppliers, as business opportunities dried up when lockdown first started. Shut down restaurants had no demand for or ability to purchase self-service kiosks. Entertainment customers like Disney and AMC Theaters have been shut down over the last few months, decreasing demand for ticketing kiosks. However, as COVID-19 has progressed, business opportunities have appeared in two main categories: contactless and fever detection kiosks.
As businesses reopened, interest in contactless kiosks has grown. FEMA released a COVID-19 best practice document on July 6, 2020 that specifically mentions examples of vending kiosks that dispense food and PPE as a potential best practice. American Airlines has introduced contactless check-in and bag drop kiosks in over 230 airports. By using kiosks to complete transactions, consumers can, hypothetically, cut out human interaction and decrease their risk of exposure to possible infection.
Fever detection kiosks have also become popular offerings. IPVM’s regularly updated “fever” camera directory already lists 60+ tablet/kiosk options.
Interview With Craig Keefner of Kiosk Industry and the Kiosk Manufacturer Association
IPVM talked to Craig Keefner who has been in the kiosk industry for over 25 years. In the industry, Mr. Keefner has worked on developing wedding registry and bridal kiosk solutions for Target. He also spent multiple years as a manager with KIOSK Information Systems and Olea Kiosks Inc.
Mr. Keefner manages the Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA) and is the editor of Kiosk Industry (KI). The KMA says they are comprised of the 30 largest US kiosk providers and “focuses on ADA, Accessibility, and EMV in the legislative arena” and exists to “clarify the many existing published standards, both U.S. and International as they pertain to self-service.” The KMA and KI are both funded by industry companies, and KI gives sponsors space to advertise and pitch to users.
Mr. Keefner goes on to discuss what the biggest problems are..,
For rest of article you can visit the Report from IPVM July 2020, or you can request from Craig via craig at catareno.com
Another article by IPVM that is recommended covers Chinese company which many “US” Kiosk companies are in fact reselling.
The China Company (Bems) Behind a Dozen+ Western Temperature Tablets
By: Isabella Cheng, Published on Jul 22, 2020 | Email This
While you have likely seen marketing for various temperature tablets, you most likely do not know the actual manufacturer behind more than a dozen of these.
We spoke to the company, Guangzhou Bems, and in this report, we examine:
The Bems temperature measurement kiosk
14 Western relabellers we have identified
The similarities between the products sold by Bems and western relabellers
Western relabeller’s markups of the Bems kiosk
Executive Summary
Guangzhou Bems is a Chinese LED screen manufacturer whom IPVM’s research indicates to be the original manufacturer providing kiosks to at least 14 Western companies. They are scattered around the world but are primarily concentrated in North America and the UK.
The average Western relabeller is adding a ~400% markup. While the sample price is $550, relabellers are charging ~$2,500, generating high profits per unit.
Guangzhou Bems Overview
Guangzhou Bems Electronics Co., Ltd. was founded in 2012. Its primary business is in manufacturing and selling LED screen products, specifically advertising digital displays. Although Bems did not comment on its revenue, its Alibaba profile lists the company’s annual output value as “US $2.5 Million – US $5 Million.” Guangzhou Bems sells its products in China under the brand “Benshi” and operates under the business trade name “Guangdong Benshi Electronics Industrial Co., Ltd.”
While Bems only recently began selling their fever detection kiosk after the COVID-19 epidemic broke out, the company said they have been selling facial recognition access control machines “for a long time.” The sales representative explained their fever detection kiosk product as “simply adding on fever detection capabilities” to their access control devices.
Guangzhou Bems says they have over 100 employees, about 20 of whom are specifically engaged in R&D. Bems told IPVM that their capabilities are diverse and are involved in hardware and software development, manufacturing, sales, and after-sales. Bems stressed its R&D capacities, citing its “10+ patents” as evidence.
At Least 14 Western Companies are Relabelling Bems Kiosks
IPVM’s research indicates at least 14 companies are reselling Bems fever detection kiosks as their own product. The companies are listed below:
not disclosed here
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IPVM has determined these relabellers primarily by looking at similarities in physical hardware and user interfaces.
Western Relabellers Sell at Significant Markup
Western resellers are selling relabelled Bems kiosks at around an average price of $2,000-3,000, with examples of xxxxKioskretailing for $2,271.60 USD and aaaaaKiosk for at least $2,599 USD.
On the extreme end, a reseller has priced Bems kiosks at an 800+% markup, such as this cccccKioskt selling at $4,759 USD. The Bems desktop-style kiosk sells for $586 USD.
It’s worth noting that the KMA has identified more than just the 14 who appear to be selling a Chinese product.
The KMA strongly advises due diligence and disclosure from your kiosk provider. KMA sponsors and members adhere to best practices and are always recommended as top tier to purchase your kiosks from.
Not unlike antibody tests, going immediate and cheap more often than not ends up being the more expensive option.
U.K. Paid $20 Million for New Coronavirus Tests. They Didn’t Work.
Facing a global scramble for materials, British officials bought millions of unproven kits from China in a gamble that became an embarrassment.
If you have questions o comments feel free to ask the KMA
The Kiosk Market Pivots To Temperature Screening (Interviewed) was last modified: July 30th, 2020 by News Editor
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these – I won’t mention the school system name because I do know we’re buying them, installed, about $2,000 cheaper a camera than what they are, they’re getting the same exact camera, we feel like it’s a good price point for us, we’ve seen it from $2,000 a device up to $100,000 per device, the prices are coming down now that more and more people are getting into the market [emphasis added]
giving thermal cameras a crucial comparison tool. Below is 
From 
Mimo Monitors’ sleek, AV-over-IP touchscreen controller provides easy installation and integration to ensure meetings are reliable and hassle-free — 
Editor Note: We do interviews with magazines (
