Hotels, restaurants, theaters, concert venues, and sporting arenas have suffered immeasurable losses in the midst of COVID-19. But there is a silver lining: the advent of technology measures to help keep customers and employees safe that have also helped the hospitality and entertainment realms regain their footing.
The role of AV technology in these industries had already been widening before the pandemic hit, but what once symbolized convenience has now become essential.
Mobile Technology
Whether it’s smart room keys or digital menus, contactless experiences empower customers to check-in to a hotel or order food without relying on physical contact. For example, apps like Grace enable guests to use messaging services that are likely already on their phones (WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat) to securely communicate their needs to staff in real time. Additionally, other apps provide personalized QR codes that can be utilized in hotel rooms to adjust the likes of lighting and temperature.
Facial Recognition and Thermal Imaging
State and federal regulations are constantly in flux, but Cyberlink’s FaceMe thermal imaging makes adhering to mandates much easier by reading a person’s temperature prior to entering a premise. A new mask-detection feature also allows businesses to comply with any mask-wearing regulations.
NFC Technology
NFC technology powers digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay, but it can also transfer videos, contact information, and photos. Hotels are now using it at self check-in kiosks to personalize the guest experience. Hotels and bars can also tailor the display ads on digital signage to a person’s gender and age.
Biometric Authentication
Some hotels are shunning check-in desks for biometric authentication, a security process that uses unique biological characteristics like fingerprints and retina scans to verify identities. It can be used in numerous instances, such as unlocking rental car doors and granting access to hotel guestrooms.
Advanced Sanitation Products
Motion-detecting hand sanitizer dispensers and ultraviolet light cleaners are here to stay. The latter are capable of ridding areas of 99.9 percent of germs and pathogens without leaving any trace of moisture or odor. The Safeology Tower also allows for the quick disinfection of vast indoor spaces.
Robots and Infrared Sensors
Along with contact-minimizing robots that deliver food, towels, and toiletries, infrared scanners stand in for ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs to help cleaning staff ascertain whether or not guests are in the room based on body heat.
A version of this article was originally published by Commercial Integrator.
