Next-generation interactive technology for Ultrahaptics exhibition display

Exhibition stand designers have a tough job to deliver new displays or refresh content in time for the next trade show. Whether you’re the busy marketing manager or a creative agency helping clients to get ready, there’s a fine balance to achieve:

• Innovative ideas to showcase your products/services
• Realistic plan and budget to cover all event and marketing costs
• Attention-grabbing design to make a high impact on visitors
• Project management to create the content on time
• Physical build plans for the final construction

Every exhibition is busy, so we work with our clients to make their display stand out. In this Business Leader article, Heather Mcdonald Tait from Ultrahaptics highlights the importance of being original with your ideas, with some great photos of the Ultrahaptics exhibition stand at CES, with the ATM kiosk designed by Crux and built by us here at Amalgam clearly attracting attention. The advances in virtual reality and computer-controlled electronics make the possibilities endless for interactivity – to create new ideas to inspire your audience and get them talking.

Thankfully, we thrive on a challenge! Our exhibition display designers and scale model making team have plenty of experience to develop ideas and build exhibition stands. Some thoughts for you to consider:

1. Make your graphics, colours and visual branding stand out across the busy exhibition hall
2. Introduce interactive features with screens, an iPad or electronics built into your stand
3. Create an eye-catching centre-piece with a giant scale model of your product
4. Offer a physical activity which gets people intrigued or laughing with your team
5. Create clear spaces where people can gather, rest and chat – around your central display
6. Design a hybrid of visual, audio and sensory experiences like those shared by our client, Ultrahaptics

Product designers and creative agencies will often draft their ideas, then talk to us to select the physical materials and manufacturing options. Brand managers know we can take them through the whole process to develop the design and construct the display. There are physical factors to consider as well as visual design:

• Transport to the destination
• Strength of the finished display
• Weight of the materialsand finished display
• Local regulations or restrictions on site, which can have major last minute implications
• How best to engage the audience with the physical product – so they spot it and can crowd round it.

Once the design is ready, we can turn around a build project quickly to ensure it arrives on time for the show.  The Ultrahaptics exhibition is a prime example of how we work together with innovative companies. Good to see the exhibition visitors enjoying exhibition stands and interactives.

Case study – working with Crux Product Design on the Ultrahaptics ATM kiosk

For CES, Crux Product Design came to us with their design for the Ultrahaptics exhibition kiosk to explore materials and ways to construct it. The challenge was to deliver the design and build both on time and within budget, so they sought our help to realise the booth.

The kiosk looks like a traditional ATM unit, but there’s no keypad. It’s programmed to showcase the Ultrahaptics touch technology using a holographic screen from their Japanese partners, Asukanet. So when you walk up to it, the screen appears to be floating, asking you to enter your PIN. As you touch the holographic keypad, you receive haptic feedback from the numbers. Even more amazing, the ASKA3D glass technology acts as a privacy screen because you can only see it when looking straight on.

Once Crux and Ultrahaptics signed off the final CAD, we used CNC machining to build the full-size booth. It allowed us to cut smooth, curved 2D parts, to construct the body of the unit. Fewer parts help to increase the strength of the kiosk ready for transport. To house the haptic technology, we created specialist casing by 3D printing the critical parts. Crux supplied the electronics and graphic design for the outer skin, working closely with us throughout the build.

When we finished the kiosk shell, Ultrahaptics came on-site to Amalgam’s workshop to install their technology. To prepare for the trade show, it was essential to run consumer testing while the booths were still in Bristol, so we hosted small groups to try out each of the units. We love to see our projects in action – so accomodating our customers’ needs – including crates for transport and shipping – is all part of the service.

If you need help to bring your next exhibition stand to life, call us on 0117 924 9596 or click the link.

Heather Macdonald Tait featured in Business Leader, talking about How to Stand Out at an Exhibition:

https://www.businessleader.co.uk/how-to-stand-out-at-an-exhibition/39899

See the CES 2018 feedback.

https://www.ultrahaptics.com/news/events/ces-2018-review

UPDATE…

Ultrahaptics wins prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise for Innovation

April 21st 2018 – Ultrahaptics today announced Her Majesty The Queen has granted the company the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the Innovation category.

Congratulations guys!  Great news, well deserved.  Read more.