Combining Video Walls with Ticket-Sales Kiosks

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Wed, 01/23/2019 - 12:53 -- Nick Dager

The TouchMate video wall using Zytronic ZXY500 touch controllers enables multiple touch displays to be arranged side by side with edge-to-edge full touchscreen capability.Self-service ticket kiosks have wide acceptance in movie theatres, but Brisbane-based TouchMate saw the potential in combining the widespread use of video walls in cinema foyers with kiosk-style features. To bring the concept to market, the company joined forces with touch sensor supplier Zytronic. TouchMate director David Ellsworth said, “Our system is an evolution of the current technology. Traditionally, the cinema might spend more than $50,000 on a video wall then install eight self-service kiosks that might cost an extra $50,000-plus. If you merge the two technologies you halve the capital costs and costs of maintenance. You save space and money.”

Customer acceptance is instantaneous, according to Ellsworth. Patrons immediately understand the proposition — as soon as they see the touch screens they know they have the opportunity to buy cinema tickets. As they approach the machine, proximity sensors switch the video wall’s content, such that the customer can find their desired screening and complete the transaction.

Once complete, the content automatically switches back to the in-house CMS programming.

Crucial to the success of the TouchMate digital system is the Zytronic ZXY500 touch controller. The new technology allows the touch sensors to be designed with sub 10mm borders.

Ellsworth said, “We’ve been working with Zytronic since 2002 on a whole variety of products in a whole range of different industries. The new ZXY500 controller is a real step forward. The success of our cinema product is dependent on an edge-to-edge full screen glass touchscreen and Zytronic has achieved that. In this case, the bezel width of the touchscreen is right down to 1.8mm either side — 3.6mm from screen to screen in total. It’s almost seamless.”

Zytronic and its local partner, JEA Technologies, worked closely with TouchMate to design a custom, printed 53-inchZybrid touch sensor with ultra-narrow borders, made from 6mm-thick toughened anti-glare etched glass.

Ellsworth has used the same glass on previous mission critical mining applications and loved the fact it’s practically indestructible. The Zytronic ZXY500 has another technology advantage that proved critical for this cinema application where multiple touch displays are arranged side by side.

“Competing projected capacitive touch sensors have issues with electromagnetic interference,” said Ellsworth. “This occurs when you attempt to place two touch panels close by or in contact with each other. Effectively, this interference prevents the touchscreens from working properly, which would be a deal-breaker in this application. The Zybrid touch sensors working with the new ZXY500 multitouch controllers don’t suffer from this issue.”

TouchMate www.touchmate.com.au

Zytronic Displays https://zytronic.co.uk/https://zytronic.co.uk/

JEA Technologies https://jeatech.com.au