A Bristol technology company has developed a way to make public touchscreens touchless in a bid to stop the spread of germs.
Ultraleap has created an application – known as TouchFree - that lets companies retrofit existing kiosks and touchscreens so people are able interact with the screen without touching it.
The company uses camera technology and hand-tracking software that means the screens can work with touchless gesture control.
According to Ultraleap, TouchFree detects a user’s hand in mid-air and converts it to an on-screen cursor so they can interact with the screen.
The application is designed to run invisibly on top of existing user interfaces without the need for modifications, the company said.
Ultraleap said its tech could be used in restaurants, train stations, hotels, museums and airports, which rely heavily on public touchscreens and kiosks.
Steve Cliffe, chief executive at Ultraleap, said: “Conventional touchscreens have worked well over the years because of their convenience, but people want to be able to interact with them in ways they perceive to be safe.”
Ultraleap said it had worked with more than 20 global kiosk makers, brands and agencies to develop the application and make it “real-world ready”, including immersive experience company Cortina Production.
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Earlier in the year, Cortina signed a major deal with Ultraleap for its touchless technology.
The agreement, which took place in August, will see the company’s tech installed in museums and aquariums across the US.
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Jim Cortina, principal and director of development at Cortina Productions and early adopter of TouchFree, said: “We’ve received many requests from our museum clients to turn their touchscreen exhibits into touchless experiences, and fast.
“TouchFree gives us a viable and customizable solution to interact in a safe and engaging way."
Ultraleap was formed in 2019 after Bristol University spin-out Ultrahaptics merged with San Francisco-based computer hardware device manufacturer Leap Motion.