Jan 18, 2022

Attendees at the Self-Service Innovation Summit found a wealth of innovation in the exhibit area, many demonstrating the customer experience advances discussed during the education sessions. Brian Machiniak presents the Nextep Systems self-order restaurant kiosk on the exhibit floor at the Self-Service Innovation Summit. Jan. 18, 2022 There was never a dull moment at the Self-Service Innovation Summit at The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood, Florida. In between education sessions, attendees found a wealth of self-service innovations in the exhibit area, many of which demonstrated the very customer experience advances discussed during the highly engaging sessions. The first physical Summit following last year's virtual inaugural event focusing on self-service innovation drew hundreds of attendees looking for the most up-to-date unattended checkout experiences designed to meet consumers wherever they might be. Following are highlights from the exhibits in alphabetical order. Bob Baydale showcases the Automat Kitchen. Automat Kitchen Automat Kitchen modernizes the original Automat concept for today's diners with a fully contactless and touchless process. Guests can order in advance on their phone or online, or at the location by scanning a QR code to connect to the menu and ordering system. There are also kiosk screens at the location for placing orders. The guest receives a unique code via text to click on to unlock the cubby/locker when the order is ready. Order status is displayed on the screens above the cubbies when received and when ready, the cubby number. Juri Tarassenkov presents the Age Verifier from CAV Solutions Ltd. CAV Solutions Ltd. The Age Verifier from CAV Solutions Ltd. for unattended retail uses a facial recognition camera and a slot for inserting identification documents, enabling the software to match the two-dimensional document photo with the three-dimensional image captured by the camera. The system can also check the user's date of birth. Estonia-based CAV Solutions Ltd. provides both the hardware and the software for the solution which allows convenience services operators to expand into age restricted sales. James Sanders presents the Hisense restaurant self-order kiosk. CRS Inc. CRS Inc., a provider of POS technology for unattended locations, presented information on its new partnership with Hisense, a kiosk hardware manufacturer. The HS210R from Hisense is an Android self-service kiosk that can be configured as either a self-ordering system or a self-checkout system, featuring stands, a base, wall mount brackets or counter stands, product trays, scanners, EFT brackets, a printer and facial recognition cameras. CRS's portfolio also includes touch terminals, software, printers, cash drawers and peripherals, including coin dispensers, displays, scales, scanners and more. R.J. Forbes, Ryan Pickerill and John Williston show the Hercules Duo SIM modem for kiosks at the DPL exhibit. DPL DPL, a provider of managed wireless services, presented its Hercules Duo SIM modem for kiosks, a 4G LTE CAT-4, dual carrier including two SIMs and dual Ethernet for applications requiring faster speeds and higher throughput such as bitcoin ATMs, interactive teller machines and digital signage. The two Ethernet ports provide multi-service support for auxiliary devices like video toppers or configure for WAN failover. Patty Gierau, Lorne Hull and Gordon Cooper show the ExpressCube kiosk. ExpressCube ExpressCube, a provider of parcel dimensioning technology, demonstrated its kiosk applications, which simplify dimensioning of parcel packages. Accurate dimensioning and weighing is crucial since customers cannot be billed for incorrectly metered rates. Using statistics published from U.S. Postal studies of walk-in parcel post packages, the self-serve ExpressCube kiosk will dimension and weigh over 99.5% of incoming parcels. Colleen Morris and David Paul present the Fastcorp SAMI robotic storefront. Fastcorp Fastcorp, a manufacturer of robotic vending solutions, presented information about its SAMI Robotic Storefront, a digital dispensing machine with a proprietary conveyor system and 24-inch touchscreen that provides content for advertising, promotions and videos. Features include vend sensor dispensing, cellular or LAN connectivity, double latching locks, steel and aluminum construction and versatile payment options, including credit, debit, chip, tap, Apple Pay and Nayax. Ben Wheeler shows a Ginko Systems prototype kiosk. Ginko Systems LLC Ginko Systems LLC presented a prototype kiosk that uses software for self storage applications that integrates with property management software. Features include enabling virtual meetings with managers, kiosk based renting, face-to-face customer support and contactless service. Peripherals include a color touchscreen, printer, lock dispenser capacity, credit card reader, ACH acceptor, bill acceptor, VOIP phone, digital camera, digital signature capture, digital camera, speakers, driver's license scanner and an onscreen keyboard. Margaret Power and Olivia Park present Honeywell's fixed vision solutions. Honeywell Honeywell presented the company's fixed vision OEM hardware and software solutions, including scan engines, scan modules and decoding boards for self-serve kiosks. The company's two-dimensional imagers omnidirectionally read QR codes. The compact imager module provides a self-contained 1D and 2D barcode scanning solution, featuring an all-in-one, easy-to-mount design that simplifies integration into fixed mount enclosures. Glenn ImObersteg demonstrates Holo Industries' contactless holographic touch. Holo Industries LLC Holo Industries LLC, a provider of holographic touch technology, showcased its touchless, germ-free user interface, a proprietary solution consisting of holographic plates, sensors and Holo Industries' software and hardware components. The technology enables users to safely touch, pinch, scroll and spin any image — even sign their name — effortlessly in midair. The static holographic image or video is clear and precise, and the user interface provides 50-millisecond response time with zero latency. Srdjan Poznic showcases the Invenda automated retail platform. Invenda Invenda, a manufacturer of automated retail technology, demonstrated its ecosystem of hardware, software and services, including vending machines, kiosks, smart coolers, digital signage and more. The company's IoT solutions are designed to personalize the guest experience while enabling remote machine management, resulting in operational flexibility. Tyler Wells of MicroTouch, Tony Nova of Frank Mayer and Associates Inc. and James Gribbin III of Metropolitan Sales Co. demonstrate the Advantage Floor from Frank Mayer and Associates at the MicroTouch exhibit. MicroTouch MicroTouch, a manufacturer of touch solutions, exhibited the Advantage Floor model from Frank Mayer and Associates Inc ., featuring a 22-inch touchscreen and an all-in-one, standalone payment module. The unit also offers Android and Windows PC options, an optional barcode scanner, a thermal receipt printer and optional assistive technology. The kiosk also meets Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines. Sabina Osorio of Worldnet Payments learns about MTI's services from Mary Jesse at the MTI exhibit. MTI MTI, a provider of asset protection, smart locks, tablet solutions and related services, demonstrated its design and production capabilities in addition to its technical services. Through its MTI Connect retail IoT platform, MTI can monitor display health, planogram compliance and other metrics remotely across multiple locations. Carly Furman explains the Nova Market from Nayax. Nayax Nayax, a provider of an IoT platform for unattended payments, presented its Nova Market, a customizable checkout solution that allows customers to examine products and read nutrition information before making a selection. The solution reduces the customer's wait time, can sell more items per transaction, builds and edits product catalogs, offers reports from Nayax based POS, and accepts cashless payments, including EMV, Google Pay, Apple Pay and more. The system leverages omnichannel marketing tools powered by Nayax and drives repeat sales with the Monyx consumer engagement and loyalty programs. Anthony Uhrick presents the Neonode touch sensor modules. Neonode Inc. Neonode Inc ., a provider of optical sensing solutions for contactless touch, touch, gesture control and in-cabin monitoring, demonstrated touch sensor modules that can make any surface contactless. The touch sensor modules can mount a sensing field parallel to an existing control panel or touchscreen, or make a projected holographic image completely interactive. The touch sensor modules are connected via USB, HID or 12C, and can be retrofitted or integrated into new designs. The modules work with existing interfaces for instant plug and play, integrate with facial recognition and voice technologies, and are suitable for outdoor applications. Brian Machiniak presents the Nextep Systems self-order restaurant kiosk. Nextep Systems Nextep Systems, a kiosk manufacturer, presented its Foundation 8 self-order kiosk for restaurants that accepts credit card, cash and badge payments. The kiosk allows customers to order with a phone number and receive notification by text. The system can recognize individual guests and pull up their order histories by phone number or credit card. An upsell feature invites guests to add customized options, along with offering nutritional information. The system is ADA compliant and includes options for low vision individuals. Carley Gordon presents the HoverTap touchless technology at the NZ Technologies exhibit. NZ Technologies NZ Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of touchless human-machine interfaces, presented the HoverTap touchless control, powered by sensor technologies that convert touch-based panels into a touch-free interface, providing three dimensional volumetric detection,and an enhanced user experience. The technology has expanded to promote safety to the general public by reducing the number of physical touchpoints in public spaces to decrease the risk of infectious diseases. Micah Larsen demonstrates the neo2 at the OptConnect exhibit. OptConnect OptConnect, winner of the Self-Service Innovation Award for the Innovation of the Year B2B, presented the neo2, an LTE Category 4 multi-carrier cellular router. The neo2 offers dual carrier functionality for kiosks, vending machines, micro markets, digital signage and other applications that require high speed connectivity. Built in the same form factor as its predecessor router, the neo2 includes a second Ethernet port that connects two devices to a single router, enabling greater flexibility and double the connectivity power. The unit comes with the full bundle of OptConnect's managed solutions and services in addition to a lifetime license to Summit, OptConnect's cloud-based monitoring platform. David Balzer presents showgoers information on Partner Tech's Alfred AD-215/156. Partner Tech Partner Tech, a manufacturer of self-service equipment, demonstrated some of its restaurant kiosks. The Alfred AD-215/156 unit offers a 21.5- inch or 15.6-inch LCD in vertical or horizontal position. The unit comes with a thermal printer, 2D barcode scanner and locked printer that prevents user interference. Options include an RFID reader, Wi-Fi, a payment bracket and an LED status light bar. Claudia Bowers presents the PopShop at the PopCom exhibit. PopCom PopCom, a provider of unattended retail hardware and software, presented its PopShop, a vending machine that combines the key benefits of an e-commerce website with those of a physical brick-and-mortar store. The interactive kiosk allows e-commerce retailers to have a physical presence. It also allows retailers and brands to capture data about customer behavior and makes information about customer preferences readily available, in addition to capturing sales data and generating insight for lead generation. Robert Shelley presents the Southco engineered access solutions. Southco