We might be living in the biggest economic downswing since the Great Depression, but you wouldn’t know it from all of the activity taking place at self-service equipment manufacturers. The COVID-19 outbreak has unleashed a demand for safety products to allow people to protect themselves from the highly contagious disease, and self-service has a big role to play in making these products available.

As businesses slowly reopen, they are requiring employees and customers to wear safety masks and wash their hands repeatedly, in addition to following social distancing rules. Many also require visitors to have their temperatures taken before entering the premises.

There is no question self-service equipment will play a big role in what many now refer to as the “new normal.”

Self-service equipment manufacturers have introduced machines that dispense packaged safety equipment, sunlight readable lcd panel, and liquid sanitizers. Some have introduced touchless transaction technologies, while others are offering devices with sensors that can take temperatures and flag visitors that need additional high brightness lcd screening.

It has been addressing kiosk sanitation since it began focusing on the needs of health care clients in 2005. In the process of becoming a health care kiosk specialist, some company have developed a sanitation solution that uses UV-C technology, a germicidal light that deactivates the DNA of bacteria, viruses and other pathogens, destroying their ability to multiply and cause disease without the use of chemicals.

The solution disinfects the outdoor lcd screen and the peripherals in 30 seconds or less following every patient’s use of the digital signage kiosk. When the patient steps away from the kiosk, it automatically disinfects itself.

Sensors on the kiosk detect when it is in use and when the person has walked away, prompting it to begin a 30-second disinfection cycle. If a person wants to use the kiosk during the cycle, it senses the human presence and suspends the disinfection process, resuming the process when the person walks away.

The UV-C embedding process is an optional upgrade for customers. The kits include ballasts for light bulbs and/or LED backlights depending on the particular kiosk, in addition to the software that runs the system.