Interactive kiosk
An interactive kiosk is a computer terminal featuring specialized hardware and software that provides access to information and applications for communication, commerce, entertainment, or education.
For example, kiosks may enable users to order from a shop's catalog when items are not in stock, check out a library book, look up information about products, issue a hotel key card, enter a public utility bill account number to perform an online transaction, or collect cash in exchange for merchandise.
Customized components such as coin hoppers, bill acceptors, card readers, and thermal printers enable kiosks to meet the owner's specialized needs.
Lappe's kiosk, called The Plato Hotline allowed students and visitors to find movies, maps, directories, bus schedules, extracurricular activities, and courses.
The transaction was sent to the Florsheim mainframe in St, Louis, MO, via dialup lines, for next-day home or store delivery via Federal Express.
The hardware (including a microcomputer, display system, touchscreen) was designed and built by ByVideo, while other components (like the CRT, floppy disk, printer, keyboard, and physical housing) were sourced from other vendors.
[7] Today's kiosks are usually found in the airport at departure and also baggage, QSR, and fast casual self-order deployments have greatly expanded.
The aesthetic and functional design of interactive kiosks is a key element that drives user adoption, overall up-time, and affordability.
One example of such large scale installations can be found in the United Kingdom, where thousands of special-purpose kiosks are now available to aid job-seekers in finding employment.
The International Telecommunication Union is promoting the use of the telekiosk in Africa and parts of Asia where local people do not have access to communications technology.
The scheme in Bhutan aims to provide an E-Post system, whereby messages are relayed by telephone, then delivered by hand to rural areas, easing the problems of transporting letters across the countryside.
These units are generally referred to as 'multi-function financial service kiosks' and the first iteration was back in the late 1990s with the VCOM product deployed in Southland (7-Eleven) convenience stores.
Products typically get produced in-store by a digital minilab, or at another location to be shipped directly to the consumer, or back to the store to be picked up at a later time.
Internet kiosks sometimes resemble telephone booths, and are typically placed in settings such as hotel lobbies, long-term care facilities, medical waiting rooms, apartment complex offices, or airports for fast access to e-mail or web pages.
Internet kiosks sometimes have a bill acceptor or a credit card swipe, and nearly always have a computer keyboard, a mouse (or a fixed trackball which is more robust), and a monitor.
One of the first companies in North America to develop and deploy Internet kiosks with touch screens via user login and password was Streetspace Inc. based out of San Francisco, California.
Starting in 1999 they deployed Internet kiosks across locations inside cafes, restaurants, and record shops in Berkeley, California.
School security concerns in the United States have led to an increase in these types of kiosks to screen and track visitors.
Kiosks that allow patients to check-in for their scheduled appointments and update their demographics to reduce the need to line up and interact with a registration clerk.
The Rockwell Museum in New York City uses touchscreen tablets to provide visitors with accessible and relevant labels for a particular exhibit.
The Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration now boasts a citizen test available for visitors to take online via an informational kiosk.
These applications interface with the bill acceptor and credit card swipe, meter time, prevent users from changing the configuration of software or downloading computer viruses and allow the kiosk owner to see revenue.
The software can also lock down the operating system (be it Apple, Windows, Android, or Linux or ChromeOS) to restrict access and/or functionality of a kiosk hardware device.
The idea is to provide Internet access on the street which means applications like Wayfinding or tie-ins to transportation systems come integrated.
Historically, electronic kiosks though are stand-alone enclosures that accept user input, integrate many devices, include a software GUI application, and remote monitoring, and are deployed widely across all industry verticals.
Simple touchscreen terminals or panel-pcs are another segment and enjoy most of their footprint in POS retail applications and typically facing the employee.
These units are considered "kiosks" only in functionality delivered and typically only incorporate touchscreen, bar code scanner, and/or magnetic stripe reader.
The basic application of kiosks in the hotel industry is to reduce waiting time for guests at check-in/checkout and relieve the reception desk.
In retail, clients can place online orders in store for home delivery, avoid queuing in fast-food restaurants, and issue library books.
