• by Tammy Chung , November 5, 2013

Jack Dorsey, founder of Square, has described the vision for his company as “… building technologies that fade away, that go into the background so people can focus on what is most meaningful to them.” He gave us a view of what a new world of touchless technology might look like. Although Square's credit card reader attachment for smartphones was a revolutionary innovation in and of itself, Square didn't stop there. Using the new Square Wallet app, patrons of shops that accept Square can now charge their credit cards without needing to fiddle around for their wallets. Now, the Square-equipped cashier can detect a user's smartphone through the app, and all that is needed to pay is one’s name. It's just one example of a product that has gone mainstream demonstrating touchless technology.

The ability to do things without the need to lift a finger is quickly being applied to many aspects of our lives. New products from a variety of industries are showing how touchless technology is opening the doors for our devices to do all the busy work for us, so we can get back to doing what we have set out to do.

Google has been a pioneer in the touchless technology space -- first with its ultra-futuristic Google Glass product and now with the voice-activated Google Now functionality that has carried over to the company’s newest Motorola smartphone, Moto X. While Glass certainly isn’t marketed to the everyday consumer, Moto X brings the voice command aspect of the product more within reach. Unlike Apple's Siri feature, users don’t need to press a button to activate and make a request -- just say the words “OK, Google Now,” and the phone will wake itself up, ready to listen. Are your hands busy cooking dinner, but you need to make a phone call? Have your phone within earshot, say “OK, Google Now, call Alex,” and you will be connected in no time. Need to text a friend? Start your request with “OK, Google Now,” and your wish is literally, Google Now's command.

We have all experienced the frustration of stepping up to our front doors and having to fumble around for keys. Now, touchless, keyless entry for the home is becoming a reality with products like Lockitron. Lockitron -- a device that easily installs onto most deadbolt locks -- has built in WiFi and Bluetooth, allowing it to detect your smartphone and sense you approaching, unlocking the door as you approach. Lockitron’s success in funding over $2.2 million for the development of their product has led the way for other competitors to enter the space.

Established lockset manufacturer Kwikset is also ditching the need for keys, but not going completely touchless just yet. With its Kevo product, entrants are only required to tap the lockset in order to have it detect a person’s smartphone or key fob, unlocking the door once it has authenticated.

Another company that hopes to incorporate touchless technology into our lives as a means of authentication is Bionym. The company’s vision is to replace all authentication mechanisms from fingerprints to pin numbers with the Nymi band. So forget the keys and passcodes -- Nymi reads your unique cardiac rhythm and will use your biometrics to authenticate your identity. Simply press your finger against the interface once you put the band on in the morning, and the device will scan for your personal biometrics throughout the day to authenticate and allow access to everything from your car to your Amazon account. In this way, touchless technology essentially erases the long lists of passwords, access codes, and keys all of us struggle to memorize each day.

All of these examples demonstrate the potential of touchless technology to work behind the scenes to bring more ease to our daily lives, even in the most static of industries such as door locks. They free us from needing to remember the infinite iterations of our passwords and fumble around with other objects throughout our daily routines that we didn’t realize until now were quite a nuisance.

While it may just be one simple step that these products are carrying out for consumers, they impact us in subtle, yet significant ways. How can your product be optimized to relieve consumers of that one extra step? Or, how can your industry bring a technological advancement to bear that can put touchless technology to work for your consumer? You never know how that one, easily overlooked step can be infinitely valuable in simplifying the everyday for your consumers.