Pioneering touchless technology developed in Bristol is helping US cinemas re-open as the country emerges from its Covid-19 lockdown
Bristol-headquartered tech pioneer Ultraleap has signed a deal with US electronic media giant CEN to use its haptic technology in interactive cinema lobby advertising – so allowing brands to continue to engage with audiences while supplying vital revenue to movie theatre operators. 
Starting with 10 locations in cities across the US, the permanent installation of Ultraleap’s technology will combine standard display advertising with touchless interactive content harmoniously on the devices.
Because the installations will use Ultraleap’s hand-tracking and mid-air haptics, the spread of germs from touching the machines will be minimised.
It will be Ultraleap’s first US network installation at scale in digital technology used out of the home.
Its unique technology enables users to receive tactile feedback without needing to wear or touch anything.While it can be used in a wide range of industries, including extended reality, automotive, digital signage, industrial automation, and location-based entertainment it has proved most popular so far in consumer electronics such as gaming.
In February it signed an agreement with innovative immersive vertical reality hardware firm Pimax, based in Shanghai and Silicon Valley.
CEN Media Group CEO and founder Kevin Romano said: “Organisations that are taking proactive measures to protect and enrich the consumer experiences of their customers will be the most successful in the post Covid-19 world. 
“Safety is always paramount, but it doesn’t have to come at the expense of the user experience. We have addressed those issues head on with the installation of Ultraleap’s touchless technologies which provide safe and clean interaction while engaging the consumer.”
In a study conducted by Ultraleap, interactive digital signs were shown to be highly effective across a range of measures – from dwell time to purchasing.
In the cinema lobby context, this could earn up to $15,000 in extra sales per interactive screen during a typical three-week campaign.
Ultraleap CEO Steve Cliffe said: “When combined with the fact that people are 1.8x more likely to interact with gesture control in the future, compared to touchscreens, it becomes clear that using this type of technology not only surprises and delights consumers, but they now highly value being able to interact without touching surfaces.
“CEN is taking a proactive approach and considering what future consumer behaviours they can respond to. By installing our touchless technologies they will be fully prepared for when cinemas begin to reopen.”
Originally called Ultrahaptics – and a spin-out from the University of Bristol which combined with US firm Leap Motion two years ago – Ultraleap employs more than 150 people across the UK, US and Asia.
