Intel RealSense Tech Adds Touchless Control To Kiosks And Displays
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, touching public surfaces has become almost taboo. To combat this, Intel has announced for CES 2021 the RealSense Touchless Control Software, which simplifies converting kiosks and signage to a touchless interface.
If you go to McDonald's, Kohl's, Amazon Lockers, or other stores, you will find touch-based kiosks for food ordering, shopping, or picking stuff up. These kiosks can be quite dirty, as in 2018, a U.K newspaper found that the McDonald's kiosks in six different restaurant locations had gut and fecal bacteria on them. Besides that, what else could be carried around and smudged onto kiosks by random people?
Now, Intel is making it so that customers do not have to touch kiosks and signs thanks to RealSense Touchless Control Software. According to Sagi Ben Moshe, Intel Corporate VP and GM of emerging growth and incubation, “Intel RealSense TCS leverages computer vision to seamlessly convert a touch interaction to a touchless one. TCS provides a smooth transition without changing existing user interfaces or writing a single line of code, creating a safer way of interacting with public displays.”
Previously, it would have been difficult for companies to implement touchless kiosks as it may have required software or hardware changes. Now, the Intel RealSense TCS lays over the core software “to deliver a safer way to interact with public displays.” When paired with an Intel RealSense Depth Camera D435, customers become safer when interacting with signs and kiosks up to 32”.
Overall, it is fantastic to see companies try to keep people safer than some government organizations have in the last year. The Intel RealSense technology, though with a current goal of protecting people from COVID-19, would be a welcome permanent change in the future. I do not want to touch grimy screens ever again, do you?
