In the past few years we’ve seen a growing trend in the touchscreen market for horizontal, or table applications. The increasing adoption of multi touch technology has led to many customers and consumers wanting a more collaborative multi user experience from their interactive hardware.

This is seen significantly in the leisure and retail sectors; where touch enabled tables or surfaces are used to engage and guide clients through a purchase, or create an exciting customer experience when deployed in restaurants, bars, casinos and museums.

As this technology becomes more widely adopted, more and more users are expecting further advances from the technology, and are looking for new and innovative ways to promote their brand, and add value to their selling process.

One of the ways Zytronic is meeting this demand is object recognition.

What is Object Recognition?

Object Recognition is a process for identifying a specific object using algorithms which rely on pattern recognition or appearance-based software to recognise pre-programmed “objects” and display various options related to the programme.

When combined with multi-touch sensors, object recognition can provide a new and enhanced way of engaging with the user, and by making it available on much larger screens, delivers a more immersive experience in high end retail applications.

In many commercial applications object recognition is achieved using a system of cameras to detect shapes and correctly decipher the information. Traditionally object recognition was extremely difficult to achieve with touchscreen technology as the two technologies were not particularly compatible, until now.

Using its MPCT™ technology, Zytronic has developed a camera-free object recognition functionality which is fully compatible with projective capacitive touch technology.

Zytronic multi touch and Object recognition

Zytronic’s solution is based on the attachment of physical conductive markers to the objects. Set in pre-determined locations these markers replicate finger touches, and can be used to activate menu bars, open product directories or control software functions.

Beneficially, these markers are detected by the existing hardware and no modification of the touch table hardware is needed, and a key advantage of this system is that non-conductive objects such as pens, bags or garments can be ignored when placed on the touch screen surface.

Where can Object recognition be used?

When deployed in touch tables, object recognition provides a compelling new way of engaging the user with the touch screen and the interactive content, this additional feature can be most utilised in customer facing installations such as leisure and retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, shops and museums.

For example, a multi-touch table featuring Zytronic’s object recognition could be used to great effect for assisting sales and interacting with customers. In an environment such as a car showroom, each conductive marker could represent a different model and would offer detailed information when placed on the table. With such an interesting feature, and information readily available at the users fingertips, customers cannot help but be impressed with the service on offer.

Or perhaps, museums could make use of the technology by replicating its exhibits on a touch table, making information available to visitors in a new and exciting way and encouraging interaction, while keeping priceless artefacts safe.

If you would like more information about Zytronic’s object recognition or multi touch technology please contact us for more information