LAS VEGAS — Mike Schaiman carried a backpack containing his laptop while attending Exhibitor2010 this past March. A trade show booth may have been more practical for him but his busy schedule made it difficult for his company to fully participate in Exhibitor2010.
Inside his backpack he carried a presentation that should have been seen by all attendees. Without a booth Schaiman, the managing director of sales and business development for Helios Interactive Technologies, resorted to contacting a few people to demonstrate his technology, which is changing way companies interact with people through compelling interactive experiences.
To demonstrate Helios’ technology, Schaiman used his laptop to show examples of how his 3-D interactive display interacts with individuals. The technology interacts with an ordinary paper containing an advertisement or some other photo image. All that is needed is a computer with a Web camera.
In one example Schaiman uses a paper wristband that, when placed in view of the laptop’s Web camera, the monitor begins to show a demonstration of a surgical procedure.
There is also a facial recognition program that is capable of overlaying an object on top of a human face. This is especially interesting when such a display is placed in an area with high foot traffic.
“There are a lot of interesting things you can by using this technology once it tracks your face,” Schaiman said. “The laptop experience is definitely scaled down from the actual event experience because we use a high-end computer. We’ve done some real neat stuff with it.”
Helios is comprised of former Reatrix employees, a company that offered interactive projection systems to create a national advertising network of displays in shopping malls and movie theatres. Reactrix was a victim of the economy but Schaiman was soon busy co-founding Helios Interactive Technologies, a full service systems integration company that brings the latest digital displays and emerging technologies to trade shows, events and retail spaces.
Helios uses similar technology but combines user-interface capabilities such as augmented reality, touch displays, multi-touch, gesture recognition and mobile applications.
In plain terms, his company uses the latest, greatest technology to combine a “wow” factor with every display.
“Conventional digital signage has hit a wall, no pun intended,” Schaiman has said in the weeks since Exhibitor2010. “People don’t leave their homes to watch TV on some streetcorner. What is initially captivating about digital signage — motion, color, movement — can quickly become commonplace, as the technology spreads. The fact is, consumers aren’t engaged and advertisers really aren’t believers — yet.”
Helios Interactive Technologies is redefining the capabilities of interactive display technologies. The company uses the latest in 3-D presentation and augmented reality installations where virtual and real-world environments become one. The company uses innovative strategies for engaging customers with eye-popping display technologies have been seen with projects for the Winter Olympics, the Vampire Diaries television show and the 3-D film Coraline.
“It’s been an exciting year for us,” Schaiman said. “It’s a lot of fun because we are working with very cutting edge technology. We’ve done some very high-profile events so far.”
The following are descriptions of the technology used by Helios:
Augmented Reality is a new, highly display technology that commands attention by combining the real and virtual worlds. A video camera pointed in the direction of the consumer utilizes pattern and/or facial recognition to overlay digital images within a live video feed in real time. By manipulating a target in front of the camera, a user can drive is or her individual experience, exploring a company’s brand via video, 3D objects and/or animation onscreen.
Augmented reality uses a computer, camera and specialized pattern recognition software of license packages makes it available for advertising, trade shows, and events and/or online at home.
Gesture Recognition Technology uses a camera, computer and display components such as a projection or LCD screen. This technology can be tailored to fit virtually any size and shape vertical or horizontal orientations. It allows an individual to become an active participant in a brand story. A well-positioned and integrated gestural display will attract attention in any setting. Work with gesture-based technology and augmented technology with large-format multi-touch screens.
