BRISTOL, ENGLAND – Consumers in both the United States and United Kingdom have concerns about the cleanliness of public touchscreens used for self-service stations and supermarket checkouts.  

Data collected from interface company Ultraleap found that half of Americans would feel more comfortable using touchless interfaces while over 80% of respondents in the United Kingdom preferred touchless interfaces. 

According to Ultraleap, check-out touchscreens are used as often as 350 times a day, making it more likely for germs to be present on the screens. In 2016, a study by the American Journal of Infection Control tested 17 grocery store touchscreens and found bacteria on 100% of the screens with 59% of that bacteria being harmful. 

"Touchless gesture-based interfaces are clearly preferred as a future option over touchscreens, counter service, or mobile apps," said Steve Cliffe, chief executive officer of Ultraleap. "With consumers stating that the number one drawback of public touchscreens is that they are unhygienic and that the single greatest benefit of "contactless" is that it's touch-free, we believe gesture control technologies will play a significant role in restoring consumer confidence in retail and other public environments in a post-COVID-19 world."