What is wrong with touch screens?
The outbreak of COVID-19 has provided the public some good lessons in hygiene. This global pandemic has stirred the established standards on cleanliness practices, raising questions and concerns about the definition of workplace safety.
Most of us did not consider washing hands frequently (and properly), as seriously as we take them today. Same goes with touching surfaces that are touched by other members of public.
A vast number of information and service kiosks that we use in our day to day life, turn out to be potential safety hazard stations. The surface of these touch screens and keypads becomes a transport hub for the virus, and the only way to avoid this, is to sanitise them between each use, which itself is not practical, and defeats the purpose of having the `machine` do the human work.
Why voice interface?
It is only natural to think of a voice enabled kiosk as a perfect solution. A perfect voice interface can safely converse with customers without them needing to touch any surfaces.
Why Aimee?
Aimee Blue has spent years of R&D to implement a perfect voice technology for this exact application. Aimee, the smart concierge , is successfully deployed in live environments in Sydney and has handled thousands of cases with success.
Aimee’s conversational voice interface is working better than household names like Google and Amazon Alexa, as it is tailored for specific cases. Moreover, it can be optionally backed by human operators who can take over the conversation in edge cases and help customer get their desired service.
Application of Aimee’s voice interface
Medical Centers
As more and more front-line health workers get exposed to the virus, protecting them proves to be extremely important. One of the most important jobs that health workers do is to screen visitors to hospitals and medical centers.
Aimee’s voice interface can screen the patients by asking the necessary medical questions, taking their temperature, and then advising them to act appropriately. If they are deemed to be at higher risk, they could be directed to further examination after picking up a mask form the kiosk. If they are at low or no risk, they can be advised to wait for a medical practitioner to meet them, or simply be guided with cautionary instructions and sent back home.
Shopping centers and Supermarkets
Information kiosks in shopping centers can use the Aimee’s friendly voice interface to guide shoppers to the right shop, advise them of location of facilities, or availability of certain services.
Shoppers’ guides
Multiple standing guides in a supermarket can give directions to shoppers about location of any item:
Hi, where can I find soy sauce?
Soy Sauce is in the sauces section at the end of aisle 5, to the right.
Touchless self-service checkout
All touch interfaces in the self-service checkout can be replaced by voice or other sensors.
Shoppers do not need to pick their fresh fruit and vegetables using a touch screen. A voice interface complemented with AI enabled camera perfectly identifies fruits and vegetables.
The only things shoppers need to touch is the products they picked, and their shopping basket!
Entrance monitoring
Right now, Aimee operates as a smart concierge replacing a need for a receptionist or security person. With the addition of body temperature monitoring (and poptoional COVID-19 screening questions) Aimee controls the entrance of staff and visitors who might be putting other staff at risk of infection.
Airports
Screening travellers in airports is becoming an essential part of any airport operation. Current touch screen check-in kiosks expose travellers to germs. A voice/video alternative is inevitable. A voice interface, augmented with image processing and AI will perform a complete check-in and health screening faster than existing kiosks check-in travellers, and keep them safe.