Interactive Kiosks

01
Jan

A kiosk used to be basically a stand or a booth where simple services were provided to the general public. Today's kiosks perform the same function, what is absent is the presence of a human being manning the kiosk. Computers have replaced him to provide certain specific and specialized services.

An interactive kiosk is one where the user gets responses to his queries almost instantaneously and gets his job done. Most computer manned kiosks are interactive kiosks. Such interactive kiosks may be either for the purpose of providing information or for completing a few specific transactions that the computer has been programmed for.

Interactive kiosks that provide information can be seen at railway stations, airports, bus terminals and the like. The latest computers that are used in such kiosks are touchscreen kiosks and are very user friendly. The interfaces of the programs fed into these kiosks are made to be very simple and user friendly so that common people face no trouble using them. Such interactive kiosks usually give information about bus, train and flight schedules; information about any delays; a facility to view where a particular bus, train or flight is using GPS systems; and several other pieces of related information.

Interactive kiosks that are used for completing transactions are put up by banks. ATM centers are prime examples of such kiosks. Customer identification is done through the use of user ids and unique PINs. Interactive kiosks that are set up by banks for use by their customers are also used for cash withdrawal. The customer can access his bank account through the kiosk and withdraw money from his account. Banks have a system of checks and balances to ensure that no fraudulent means are used to take advantage of kiosks.



Over the last few years, the use of touch screen know-how has increased dramatically to the point where is it commonplace in everybody's every day life. Listed below are some examples of how they are being used:

Public Information Displays - The primary reason behind the increase in use of touch screen displays is basically due to the ease of use they offer. People of an older generation, who possibly have had no actual experience with computers, can quickly work out how to make use of them and find the information they require basically. Public information displays come in the type of information kiosks, trade show displays, tourism displays, and lots of others.

Retail Systems - In definite environments time is an important factor in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of transactions. A touch screen process can reduce the time needed to input information and can also increase the ability of program in terms of visual communication of options. Therefore they play an important role in such areas as money registers, stool and reservation systems and order entry stations by simplifying and speeding up the information entry method.

Customer Self-Service - It is a fact that nobody likes waiting in line or queuing for things, and it is a controversy that can be overcome by using this know-how. Self-service touch screen terminals are being used to improve customer support at stores, restaurants and transportation hubs. ATM's and airline e-ticket terminals are other examples of self-service stations that often use them. Customers can complete transactions themselves; saving them time and allowing them to get on with their day.

Computer Training - Using this know-how for schooling systems can lead to increased speed of training, decreased costs, improved effectiveness and interaction and more fun for the trainee. Due to it is ease of use, these systems are not difficult for computer novices to become familiar with, therefore aiding the efficiency of training.

Industrial And Manufacturing - Within the last few years, the integration of touch screen systems in to industrial parts and product manufacturing has increased dramatically. Because of the ease of use, the speed of information input and the simplified visual communication of options, touch screens offer an unparalleled alternative to older information input systems.




When deploying any kiosk for digital signage, there's essential questions that you need to think about, failure to do this can kill your project.

1. Location.

A kiosk that is going to be deployed outside would not benefit from being manufactured from wood as timber would break down over time and crack with water wicking. On the other hand a stainless steel enclosure would look out of place in a church, so finding the balance is the point to watch here.

An outdoor enclosure has to be more robust compared to a kiosk that is going inside and if the unit is to go up against a wall it is no lovely in the event you need to access the kisok hardware  from a rear access panel, here the solution would be a front accessed unit.

2. Footprint.

Two times the location has been finalised, the next point to look at is if space is at a premium, if so a wall mounted unit is necessary, but if there is plenty of space a freestanding kiosk is what is necessary. A client might require their kiosk to stand out form the rest and might require it larger or an unusual shape.

In betting establishments the kiosks that dispense money and tokens are bolted to the floor so additional floor space is necessary, with servicing from the front access panel otherwise servicing the machine is going to make life difficult.

3. Application.

Units that dispense products must be gigantic to store as well as dispense the product. It would be no lovely if the stock ran out after two or two days from being restocked due to lack of storage.

What will the kiosk be used for? Will customers pay bills here? If so a card swipe has to be integrated in to the kiosk, if the kiosk is to be used for any money transactions, additional security measures will need to be in place.

Using these points will help you in the future - lovely luck together with your deployment.



A touch screen kiosk is an user-friendly device that helps customers to buy products with ease thereby enabling entrepreneurs to reach out to more customers.

Basically put, a touch screen kiosk is a computer terminal or a kiosk that has a touch screen to permit users to navigate the computer than having to make use of a mouse or a keyboard. These kiosks have created the latest waves in the business world in that they are user-friendly and hence have attracted customers by the millions. In attracting umpteen customers, such kiosks have also become the favourite among entrepreneurs as they basically let them enhance sales revenue and widen profit margins. Thus, such kiosks have lent their magical touch to the lives of the companies and their customers.

To work a touch screen kiosk all that the user needs to do is to press the self-explanatory buttons on the screen to navigate through the computer. The mere finger-touch of the individual on the computer screen activates a sensor that then passes on the information to a controller. The controller then translates this information in to a language that the computer application can understand that finally executes the task that the user had asked it to perform.

The main advantage of using a touch screen kiosk lies in it being user-friendly. Since all computer commands can be given at the touch of a finger, even those with no computer knowledge or experience find it simple to handle the touch screen. Since the customer realizes that they can handle the kiosk all by himself, this promotes him to help himself i.e. it encourages self-service- something that all self-service kiosks need to promote businesses.




In this fast paced tech savvy world different types of touch screen kiosks are available today in the market that gives you freedom to take edge over your competitors. Nowadays most of the customers prefer choosing, deciding, and transacting privately their accounts whether it is about making electronic payments or knowing some information or something else that too with minimal interference from the executives. 

Touch screen kiosks are the backbone of most of the self service kiosk installations. Users usually want to touch the screen and get their desirable job done in the easiest possible manner. These are the interactive kiosks and are supposed to be used independently by people without any assistance that is why touch screen are getting more popular day by day due to their user-friendly interface.

Self service kiosks are the best possible way to display many products and services across variety of industries that delivers a top quality flow of information to your specific target segment thereby increasing the maximum use of kiosk for various purposes.

Benefits of Self-Service kiosk software:

    * Self-service kiosk software can provide better service for your customers with enhanced and quick processes with an outdoor kiosks arrangement
    * It saves time and much easier to use as compared with the other human assistance.
    * It maintains confidentiality since no human resources are involved.

In other words, self-service kiosks are hardware devices that work in combination with self service software. It allows users to perform any number of possible transactions. The method of input is either a keyboard, touch-screen, or can be both as well. Some kiosks include card readers, ticket and receipt printers, bill and coin depositors, and other mechanical devices.




A simple kiosk can be created using HTML pages and graphics, setting the typesize large enough to attract people from a short distance, and removing the Web browser's tool bar so that the display screen is effectively in "kiosk mode." The presentation can be designed to simply loop through a series.

A touchscreen kiosk is practically nothing new to electronic signage, nevertheless these gadgets has been little used to focus on consumers directly, now they can.

An interactive kiosk is very diverse from an LCD advertising monitor, in the that content can be streamed over the world wide web for updates and to publicize new content and material, where as an LCD advertising monitor has to have the content added manually to the internal memory card media player.

A digital signage kiosk facilitates companies and business owners to maximize workforce time and use them to their best and that is to take money, let the interactive kiosk interact with the buyer, build the consumer loyalty and most importantly let the customer think they are in charge.
The biggest advantage of using LCD touch screen is its ability to provide consumers with an interactive experience. Digital signage with touch screens usually have a small keyboard on the screen that allows you to choose and select the information that you want. The digital screens consist of sensors that feel the human touch and change the image accordingly.



Last many of the   Years, the number of use of touch screen system technology has developed widely to the point where it is commonplace in everybody's regular life. Hereby added some of good examples of how they are being used:

Public Information Displays - The essential reason behind the increase in use of touch screen displays is simply due to the ease of use they offer. People of an older generation, who maybe have had no real experience with computers, can quickly work out how to use them and find the information they need easily. Public information displays come in the form of information kiosks, trade show displays, tourism displays, and many others.

Retail Kiosk Systems - In positive environments time is an important factor in determining the efficiency and effectiveness of transactions. A touch screen system can decrease the time needed to input data and can also increase the aptitude of software in terms of visual communication of options. Therefore they play an important role in such areas as cashier registers, seat and reservation process and order entry stations by simplifying and speeding up the data entry process.

Customer Self-Service Kiosk Process - It is a fact that nobody likes waiting in line or queuing for things, and it is a problem that can be overcome by using this technology. Self-service touch screen terminals are being used to improve customer service at stores, restaurants and transportation hubs. ATM's and airline e-ticket terminals are other examples of self-service stations that often use them. Customers can complete transactions themselves; saving them time and allowing them to get on with their day.

Industrial And Manufacturing - Within the last few years, the combination of touch screen systems into industrial parts and product manufacturing has increased significantly. Because of the ease of use, the speed of data input and the simplified visual communication of options, touch screens offer a supreme alternative to older data input systems.