If you travel much you have probably been through an airport and seen a little screen at the exit to restrooms/toilets/water closets/add a new name here that ask users to rate the cleanliness of the facilities.
Just as it seems odd that people are asked to pull on door handles after they’ve been encouraged to soap and wash their hands, a touchscreen on a user feedback display in a washroom seems less than appropriate or inviting.
As reported by German language content partner invidis, the interactive firm Ameria has come up with a solution that makes the displays touch-free.
At the airports in Singapore and Doha (Qatar), they rely on the digital signage solution from the Singapore start-up Happymeter , which is marketed under the name Happyhover.
A robust, service-free sensor bar above the screen and software are sufficient. Proof that even after the pandemic, gesture control is an interesting alternative to touch. Not only for customer feedback terminals but also for many other interactions between man and machine.
I often wonder about some of the use-cases presented for these solutions that react to fingers near but not quite touching displays (I think a lot of people will just touch the screens because they touch things all day long), but this is a scenario in which I think people are more aware than normal about clean surfaces.