Novel First Aid Kiosk Benefits from 3Ms Rugged Touch Technology

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3M Touch Systems, a division of diversified technology company 3M, have announced the incorporation of its rugged touch system in the award-winning first aid kiosk from POWER Products.

The self-service kiosk, named Hawk Healthcare, is designed to offer special emergency assistance to the public in indoor and outdoor environments such as shopping centres, train and bus stations, libraries and government offices. 3Ms rugged surface capacitive touch screen technology was chosen as the touch-interface for its fast accurate response and robust construction.

We chose 3Ms most rugged touch system as its ideal for unsupervised self-service kiosks that demand high levels of surface wear, impact strength and shatter resistance, commented Tomas Pav, Sales and Technical Director, POWER Products. We have a long established cooperation with 3M, having been a distributor for 12 years. As well as innovative technology, high quality support and brand strength were the main reasons for selecting the company as touch screen provider for our unique emergency kiosk application.

Based in the Czech-Republic, POWER Products has over 17 years experience in the design and manufacture of kiosks, self-service terminals, special monitors, LCD panels, touch screens and industrial and military monitors. The companys product range addresses customers unique requirements by combining attractive kiosks with a comprehensive selection of technology accessories. The Hawk Healthcare kiosk, for example, features a built-in mobile phone and removable defibrillator. It can also be modified to include a top roof for shelter and high brightness LED lighting for night time visibility.

The concept of the first aid kiosk is simple. If anyone suspects signs of heart failure they can break the emergency glass, turn a knob and open the door to remove the defibrillator case. On activation of the equipment, the mobile phone will automatically call an ambulance giving an exact location of the kiosk via an integrated GPS module. Instructions on how to use the defibrillator are given through an easy to follow, continuous on-screen presentation.

The kiosk uses a 17-inch MicroTouch SCT7650EX surface capacitive touch system with a USB controller from 3M. With its conductive, adhesive-bonded flexible circuit tail, the touch sensor facilitates a superior liquid and dust seal between the sensor and display bezel. Furthermore, the 4mm optically-clear laminated glass-on-glass construction provides 86.5 per cent light transmission for brighter, crisper display images.

The SCT7650EX also meets EN/UL 60950-1 safety standards for superior impact resistance and durability. If surface breakage occurs due to extraordinary impact, the lamination helps isolate the glass shards between the touch surface and LCD to protect the user. For applications that require user privacy, Vikuiti Advanced Light Control Film (ALCF) from 3M can be applied to the sensor, which increases on-screen security by restricting the viewing angle.

This is an extremely remarkable kiosk application and we are excited to be part of it, said Paolo Pedrazzoli, Marketing Operations Manager EMEA, 3M Touch Systems. Our rugged touch system offers the highest performance a customer could want for vandal-prone, unsupervised kiosk applications in terms of durability, reliability and optical transmission.

The Hawk Healthcare first aid kiosk is now available and recently won an EAFS Self-Service Award 2009 for the category Best Self-Service Application. The board members recognised the kiosk as an outstanding example of the valuable benefits self-service solutions can provide to the public.

3M Touch Systems provides innovative touch technology products to customers worldwide under the MicroTouch brand. Popular interactive applications include casino gaming, retail point of sale, foodservice, hospitality, self-service, industrial, healthcare and interactive digital signage.