Digital transformation has taken on a new level over the past few years. The way that we live our lives has changed for the better, relying on technology to assist in so many ways. The Internet of Things or IoT has enabled connectivity that was only dreamed of before. The key to all of this is using this connectivity to the benefit of all. This article will look at some ways of using tech to transform the way we interact with space – whether that space is retail, home, work, or other public spaces.
LiDAR technology enables AI machines to help people. It has been used in outdoor settings such as scanning the land for some time now. But the next level is indoor applications that allow a space to be managed remotely. Let’s take a look at some of the ways this can happen.
Retail space control
Retail space is somewhere where the risk of theft is higher than we’d like to believe. It is a $30 billion problem. So, investing some cash in resolving the issue always seems like a good idea. The present solutions are security guards or CCTV cameras. The first isn’t reliable, the second is more about identifying the source of the problem after the fact rather than stopping it from happening.
But what about a tech solution that has the answers to all of these issues? HLDS’s automated shop solutions help the retailer know who has entered their premises, that they have permission to be there and what goods they have taken with them. This automates the entire retail landscape –
- Access is granted via facial recognition to customers who have signed up and have authorized payment methods on file.
- Their movements are automatically tracked across the store.
- Shelf space is also monitored so the LiDAR system can detect which customer picked up which item – it then tracks them until exiting the store.
- As they leave the store, no checkout is required – they are automatically billed to their payment method for the goods that they left with.
This means that staffing resources can be much more effectively managed, savings costs. The retail theft problem reduces to a minimum because every item is tracked, so the system knows who picked it up and walked out of the store with it. Only people who have an authorized payment method on file are in the store, so they will be charged for the items. Shoplifting has reduced to almost zero. Security deals with non-payers rather than potentially violent shoplifters who don’t like to be cornered. This is another way that digital transformation improves retail and public life.
Home/office space control solution
Space is a vital component of everyday life. And the fact that space is at a premium means that it must be managed effectively. Give access to the right people, and we stay safe. Give access to the wrong people, and anything can happen. And we have traditionally used space managers such as security guards or reception personnel to carry out this task.
With HLDS’s solutions, you can manage access to space remotely with even greater control than currently happens when the space managers are present. IoT devices are, by their very nature, connective. So, by connecting multiple of these devices together, you can create a network that operates together. Our solution can identify a person based on their facial features, giving access to a space, a device, or a network. Obviously, the opposite is also true – if the person doesn’t have the necessary permissions to access space, device, or network, then they are denied access.
But it doesn’t have to stop there. A simple process of allowing or denying access is one thing. This doesn’t have to be a blanket approach. Different levels within an organization can have different levels of access. Some might have permission to access accounting programs, others access to employee files, and so on. You can see from these examples that a sophisticated system can very quickly be established based on a person’s face as their key to access.
In the case of a potential issue, real-time data reporting via video cameras gives the operator the chance to immediately take decisive action. So, for example, we no longer have the issue of a lost ID card. Your face is your ID. And if there is an issue, security or the authorities can be called to deal with the identified issue.
Remote concierge service
As we said at the top of this article, there are multiple uses for this technology. A concierge is a major cost to any business, placing one or more people in situ at a location for long hours. And a concierge eventually becomes something that people rely on. They gain more tasks, use more time and cost more money.
The two-way video has gone some way to alleviate this cost. But currently, many two-way video systems are reliant on the user pressing a button to initiate the conversation. HLDS’s tech means that this doesn’t have to be the way. You can see this technology used for fun applications too. But in this case, we’re looking at LiDAR tech alerting the remote concierge team that someone has entered a space. Align this with a digital kiosk, and you have a single point of communication at the entrance to a space, allowing people to know where to go and what to do.
As an example, a museum or tour could use this technology to guide people around a space, giving them an interactive experience triggered by movements picked up on the LiDAR system. People are guided through a space based on their movement through that space.
For an organization, they can become much more efficient, providing guidance to multiple people at a time rather than the standard 1:1 face-to-face interaction that is currently the case. Empowering one team member to deal with multiple customers at the same time means a drastic cost-saving exercise.
