Enhancing Customer Experience with Rugged and Stylish Wayfinding Kiosks

• Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems

• Sales & Marketing

• Hardware Design & Engineering Services

Xiaomeisha SeaWorld, one of the biggest aquariums and theme parks in China, aimed to enhance visitor experience by installing interactive wayfinding kiosks in its eight exhibition buildings. However, the original kiosks, composed of a 32" touchscreen and a digital signage box, malfunctioned due to the high humidity in the aquarium. Moreover, the kiosks broke after only a few months of use. Therefore, the customer decided to look for a more rugged and attractive replacement kiosk solution that could provide stable operation in heavy-duty and high humidity environments, reflect SeaWorld’s premium image, and run interactive software smoothly.

Xiaomeisha SeaWorld is located at Xiaomeisha beach in Shenzhen, China. It is one of the biggest aquariums and theme parks in the country, attracting more than one million visitors each year. The park features eight buildings that exhibit various sea creatures from different habitats, and four theaters that showcase performances of dolphins, sea lions, and many other sea animals. To enhance the visitor experience, the park installed interactive wayfinding kiosks in the eight exhibition buildings. These kiosks allow visitors to view maps, look up show times, watch introduction videos, and find additional information.

To meet the requirements of Xiaomeisha SeaWorld, Advantech’s UTC-532E all-in-one touch computer was chosen as the new kiosk system. This fanless industrial-grade touch computer is equipped with an Intel® Core™ i5-4300U processor, providing superior performance and stable operation in heavy use environments. The UTC-532E can operate in humidity of 10 ~ 95% at 40 °C and its IP65-rated front panels protect the kiosks from dust and spills, making it ideal for the unique environment of SeaWorld. The computer features a beautiful 31.5” 16:9 LCD display that supports 1366 x 768 resolution. SeaWorld chose Projected Capacitive (PCAP) touchscreens which can support brighter and sharper images, allowing the wayfinding kiosks to offer more attractive content as well as provide more interactive activities for children. The PCAP touchscreen provides a smooth and instant touch feedback, creating a more pleasant interactive user experience. Its slim design and aluminum frame complement a stylish and sleek look that’s perfect for the environment, and its compact size makes it easy to install in any space.

• The new kiosk system improved customer satisfaction levels.
• The stylish design of the kiosks enhanced the premium branded image of the theme park.
• The rugged and industrial-grade design of the kiosks resulted in lower maintenance and replacement costs.