Singapore-based studio Stuck Design has unveiled yet another kinetic touchless technology, this time focusing on interacting with contactless sliding doors. Similar to the Kinetic Touchless Lift Buttons, the Kinetic Touchless 2.0 system mirrors your hand to recreate the tactile movement of sliding a door. Instead of fully automatic doors, users get to control when and how much of the door will open, all while staying safely contactless.
Contactless doors are not new. Yet, automatic doors are often unnecessarily activated upon detecting the slightest of movements. Reclaiming control over these automatic doors reduces wasteful energy consumption and even curbs frustrations over waiting for doors to open and close for you.
With Kinetic Touchless, the door uses motion as feedback. As your hand moves towards the door, as one would reach for a door handle, the door is activated and responds with a slider interface. You can then control the slider at a distance to open the door, step through, and have it automatically close behind you. Instead of automating both the opening and closing of doors, you retain the tactility and control of pulling open a sliding door with the convenience of a door that always keeps shut.
By bringing tactility back to the otherwise non-tactile experience of a contactless interaction, Kinetic Touchless capitalises on both the flexibility of contactless interactions and familiarity of contact interactions. In relooking how we interact with touchless technology, we can find new yet familiar experiences in a world where touch is simultaneously craved and feared.