:: ProTech Kiosks ::

Indoor/Outdoor

The “Inside” Story

There are thousands of Kiosks that are being used for various Point of Sale (P.O.S.), Interactive or Informational applications in protected, indoor environments. The “indoor” environment provides a number of constants that Kiosk designers, and users, can count on:

Controlled Temperature (72-80 degrees)
Controlled Lighting (normal overhead lighting)
Limited Environmental Exposure (doesn’t rain inside)
Supervised Operation (employees are always in the area)
Clean Environment (limited air-borne dust/dirt)

As a result, most “indoor” Kiosk designs have addressed basic ergonomic needs as well as providing the proper user interface based on the given application. The “Outside” Story

However, when owners of these Kiosks decide to move these applications “Outside” things change, and they change dramatically. From a software/application stand-point they can run the same application outside and increase exposure and/or sales.

The biggest change is the actual Kiosk packaging. The vast majority of Indoor Kiosks cannot be used in an Outdoor environment. The primary reasons are as follows:

Temperature Extremes – from below 0° F to above 110° F in the summer
Direct Sunlight – will “washout” the display so you can’t read the screen
Severe Weather – rain, snow, wind
Limited Supervision – can’t always see who’s using the Kiosk
Dirty Environment – wind-blown dust, car fumes, etc.

On top of this, the normal Touchscreen Technology that is used for most indoor applications may not be suitable for outdoor use:

Touchscreen cannot be “sealed” against direct rain
It is subject to increased damage/vandalism

Some of the Answers…
In order to address these concerns, Kiosks that are destined for use in outdoor applications must be designed with the following considerations:

1. Display Brightness – since the outdoor units will be subject to direct sunlight, the actual flat panel LCD must be brighter; 350-700 Nits vs. the normal 180-200 Nits.

2. Auto-Dimming – just as you want the display brighter during sunny days you want to be able to have the display auto-dim to lower brightness during cloudy days or at night.

3. Touchscreen – the touchscreen technology must be such that it can be fully sealed against direct rain AND it should have safety glass in front that prevents breakage and cannot be disabled by the consumer.

4. Temperature – the computer, display and other electronics must be designed for industrial, high-temperature use. The internal temperatures may reach 130° F and the components must operate at these elevated temperature levels.

5. Keyboard / Pointing Devices – must be suitable for use in wash down environments and made robust for severe usage.

6. Material – should be metal design with industrial powder coat finish. Most indoor materials will not survive outdoors and will be subject to cracking under sun load and varying conditions.

7. Sealing – all connections, openings, doors, panels into the Kiosk must be designed with watertight gasketing, latches and fittings. Otherwise, water will get into the unit.

8. Shock / Vibration – these Kiosks will take more physical abuse than indoor versions so all electronic components need to be “shock-mounted” to prevent damage.

The Outdoor Kiosk can still be designed with the same level of ergonomics and user interface to run the same applications as inside. However, different packaging methods must be employed, the electronics must be suitable for the higher shock/temperature environments and the display/touchscreen must handle the varying ambient light conditions.

3600A Swiftwater Park Drive | Suwanee, Georgia 30024 | 770.271.0048 o | 770.271.2796 f
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Quick Info Pro-Tech Systems designs, manufactures, delivers and supports Industrial and Zytronics self-service kiosks.

Pro-tech is the largest producer of outdoor kiosks in North America.

Pro-Tech provides complete engineering, design, and support for internet, interactive, retail kiosks.

Call Pro-Tech at 3600A Swiftwater Park Drive | Suwanee, Georgia 30024 | 770.271.0048 o | 770.271.2796 f