Touchless Technology
While the President may have been saved by biotechnology and vaccines, the vast majority of the globe’s 6 billion people will not be so lucky.
6 Months into the pandemic response we know several things:
- some people don’t care if they catch or transmit the virus
- people get „Covid fatigue“ and simply forget and become careless
- vaccines and medications are still a way off
- we cannot avoid touching things and breathing in common buildings or situations
- new disinfection technology can help
We obviously haven’t and perhaps won’t social distance or be careful about touching infected things. That brings us to the matter of touchless technology (and perhaps disinfection appliances).
With the Covid 19 disease threatening us each day, tenants and landlords are looking more closely at how we can collectively prevent virus transmission. Medical experts tell us Corona Virus is transmitted via touch.
The Danger of High Rise, High Density Situations
In apartment buildings and other densely populated areas, it is an overwhelming problem and for property managers. Touchless technology may be a big helper in reducing contact points in entry doors, elevators, and in home transmission. It may be the single most important factor in reducing disease transmission.
For workers returning from work, families at home preparing meals, workers at take out restaurants, or those with kids who must use public washrooms, a horrible outcome looms with each and every touch of any common surface. Cleaning constantly and wearing gloves might not work.
Tenant’s and property management staff’s hands are the number one source of bacteria and virus transmission in a rental apartment complex. This problem is driving new interest in touchless technology which is integrated into everything from doors and elevators to washroom sinks.
What once was thought of as esoteric and fussy, is going to become mainstream.
Touchless Technology in Property Management
We need a little hope that we can get ahead of this plague, so we thought we’d take a look at touchless technology and discuss the benefits for tenants, property management staff and landlords. We can’t make it a completely touchless world, yet we could reduce the transmission points and save a lot of lives.
Touch free amenities have been present in homes and public areas for sometime now. However due to rising demand, product design and features are evolving quickly. You’ll find products that incorporate computers and gesture recognition sensors, along with temperature adjustment and even soap dispensers.
Touchless Kitchen Faucets
These products are becoming more user friendly with temperature and flow adjusters.
Global Touchless Sensing Market Forecast
According to a marketresearchfuture.com report, The global touchless sensing market is expected to reach approximately USD 18 Billion by 2023 (a 17.3% rate over the forecast period 2018–2023).
ResearchAndMarkets.com’s report suggests the current market may be above $11 billion already. They forecast the global Gesture Recognition & Touchless Sensing Market will reach $65.9 billion by 2027 (a 22% growth rate).
These estimates were calculated before this global Corona Virus pandemic.
Screenshot courtesy of marketresearchfuture.com/reports/touchless-sensing-market-1111
Touchless Technology Responds to a Persistent Issue
I’m sure as you’ve used a public washroom, after washing and cleaning your hands, you first wondered how you’re going to shut the tap off without touching it. Then you wondered if drying your hands via the blow dryer, or using paper dispenser which is right above the bin where people are disposing of their used paper towels is a wise idea. And finally, you wondered how you’re going to get out of the washroom without touching the door handle.
A surprising number of people don’t wash their hands after using the washroom, and there’s no reason to think they’ll change their habits. It makes public areas very risky places for your health going forward.
This is why social isolation is the only thing that works to stop the spread of germs and viruses. Yet, soon, people will be back to work and the risk will grow again.
From elevator buttons, to credit card transaction machines, to door handles and handrails in the subway or buses, to inspecting the produce we’re buying at the grocery store, the risk from touching things is great.
Screen capture courtesy of facilitiesnet.com/whitepapers/pdfs/georgiapacific.pdf
Landlords, property managers, tenants and visitors to buildings will need to face the Covid 19 transmission challenge. It’s up to us all to make our lives safer anyway we can.
What is Touchless Technology?
Touchless technology is a set of hardware, sensors, and software components designed to accomplish a task which allows minimal actual handling or touching by a person.
Touchless technology is a unique solution using sensors on devices with some computerized execution. Examples of touchless technology products are touchless smartphone screens, battery powered self-soap dispensers, self-opening doors, and gesture activated water faucets and toilets. The technology also includes voice activated input too.
Gesture Recognition and touchless sensing operate from various mathematical algorithms through computer devices to translate human gestures and movement to act as commanded. It is a paradigm in human-machine interfaces and helps humans interact with the machines without using any mechanical devices in the process. — from MarketWatch news report.
So whether it’s voice controlled or used through hand swipes and gestures, touchless technology is about to a big industry. Landlords and property managers both will need to consider adopting for use in apartments and rental properties.
Who Benefits from Touchless Technology?
Benefits range from convenience, handicapped compliance, to health protection. Good for tenants and landlords.
- tenants who touch entry door handles, railings, mailboxes, and elevator buttons
- restaurant staff who who return plates and cutlery to kitchen and prepare tables for next diners
- kids in school who touch water fountains, door handles, and washroom faucets
- retail cashiers who handle cash, credit cards, and products at checkout
- those who use gyms, public washrooms, restaurants, workplace cafeterias, and other risky places
- landlords who save money on maintenance and repairs of physical-based switches, buttons, handles, etc
- property management companies who lose fewer staff to sick leave
- health care system with lower admissions and doctors visits, and safer treatment sessions
- parents who worry about what their kids will be touching at school
The Top 7 Most Useful Touchless Technology Products for Landlords and Tenants
The top products help Landlord’s number one customer — Tenants.
- touchless entry doors and security systems – allows tenants to enter with cards, bluetooth, rf tags, or perhaps through voice recognition systems, to avoid the dangers of keys and door handles
- touchless washroom fixtures – allows tenants to avoid transferring pathogens to a physical surface
- touchless kitchen fixtures – lets tenants clean their food, food packaging, and cutlery without transferring pathogens to them
- property management software systems– touchless rent payment and online maintenance requests
- touchless hand sanitizer for entry areas – tenants and visitors can kill viruses before spreading them into the apartment building
- touchless elevator buttons – avoiding touching what everyone in the building was touching
Touchless technology and robotics are just getting their start really. And with the Covid 19 epidemic raging, it’s important to look at all options to control exposure for you, your tenants, and your staff.
If you still haven’t adopted online property management software, this is the time to look into it. If your current solution has proven to be cumbersome and not specialized for property manager’s needs, then please review the many benefits of ManageCasa.
From ManageCasa’s exceptional bookkeeping and accounting functions designed for landlords and property managers, to the simplicity of our user dashboard and powerful reporting features, it’s your best ally in this new challenging era for property management.
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