Touchless Tech - COVID-19 legacy

Touch-free technology could be one of the lasting legacies of the pandemic as consumer preference shifts to minimising contact with public surfaces.

A recent study conducted by Foolproof, a product and design agency revealed that 80% of the 2,000 UK consumers surveyed have change the way they engage with public technology, such as ATM’s and chip and pin devices. We believe this is set to stay, with nearly three-quarters of those surveyed reporting that they have worn gloves or wiped down public surfaces before using them in the last two weeks.

This poses an interesting predicament for retailers who, in the last few years, have invested in self-service check-outs, which are all touch screen.

The statistics indicate big implications not only for retailers but also travel companies and banks who generally rely on technologies such as chip and pin devices, ATMS, ticket machines as well as self-service checkouts.

The aviation industry is already beginning its shift in technology with the phase out of paper tickets in favour of e-tickets and QR codes on smart phones. If you have caught a plane during the pandemic you will know that you can no longer make in-flight purchases with cash. Only touchless payments are accepted to limit hand to hand contact with passengers and crew and to prevent the crew from handling money.

We also expect to see a rise in self-cleaning technology such as ‘nano-septic’ skins and mats which are used to cover surfaces like phones, tablets, door handles and checkouts into self-cleaning surfaces.

At the outset of lockdown in the UK the general perception was that protective measures would last a couple of weeks before things returned to normal. Now, some 5 months on from the official lockdown announced by Boris Johnson on 22nd March, it seems that some elements of the pre COVID-19 world will not be returned to, with the rise in touchless tech helping to change this.

At forburyTECH we hope that the changing world can provide opportunities for start-ups as consumer demand changes. If you need some help getting your idea to market then contact our expert team for advice.