How to Make A Building Completely Touch-Free

How to make a building completely touch-free The global pandemic has pushed the technological boundaries further, paving the way for contactless innovations. In the world of security, this translates into technologies like facial recognition-based entry systems, mobile credentials, and more. Yet, a touch-free experience extends beyond these initial touchpoints in a building.

So, how can an entire structure be turned into a touchless entity? This article delves into the current tech options that can guide consumers towards an entirely contactless environment.

The Rise of Contactless Consciousness

Touchless or frictionless building technologies have been around for a while. However, the pandemic has escalated the demand due to increased awareness of unseen risks, a desire for wireless experiences, and widespread access to smartphones.

“COVID-19 has heightened the awareness of daily touch interactions like doors, car parks, elevators, etc.,” notes Sheeladitya Karmakar of Honeywell Building Technologies. As the need to minimize contact persists, building owners must explore touchless solutions that enhance comfort without compromising security.

Starting with Entrance and Exit

Entry and exit points are the primary focus. A true touchless building eliminates physical security measures like key cards or PIN pads, replacing them with facial recognition and license plate recognition (LPR) systems. This can extend to parking areas, using computer vision to digitize parking systems, removing barriers, paper ticketing, and offering a seamless experience.

“Beyond entry points, smart cameras can automate other contact points, helping to determine cleaning and sanitization needs,” says Casey Rawlins of Security and Safety Things.

Beyond Access: A Complete Touchless Experience

To evolve into a fully touchless building, technology must permeate further, enabling smart control of blinds, temperature, lighting, and even conference room equipment. Autonomous robots may play a role in reducing human interaction, and self-service visitor management systems can minimize contact with external guests.

“Lobby kiosks with QR codes for self-check-in can provide no-contact visitor management,” adds Jason Ouellette of Johnson Controls.

Conclusion

A complete touch-free environment is not confined to access control; it integrates smart hubs, robots, and various automated services. The feasibility of such measures relies on the facility’s purpose and the unique needs of the occupants. It may mean getting employees to the production floor more efficiently or providing more hygienic environments. Either way, a touch-free experience has gone from being an option to a necessity.