With the launch of Advantech’s new HIT-W181, an 18.5”, 16:9 flat-panel touch “infotainment” terminal, the company has really created a new market opportunity and category for AV. The terminal is sort of an all-in-one system, with a huge list of options such as a 2.0 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, VOIP, barcode reader, RFID, NFC, MSR, touch panel and fingerprint reader — so it can be used in retail, sales, vending, self-service and kiosk applications as well as healthcare applications (patient infotainment, medical information, diagnoses). HIT-W181 is IP65-rated for protection against water and spills; it supports CFAST, a CompactFlash solution that provides durable, high speed storage; it’s available in either a resistive touch or PCT multi-touch panel depending on the application environment (and it is medically-certified for hospital use).

It’s better understood by looking at it, actually, as once you see it, all sorts of applications come to mind. For example, it even has the ability to be an instant interactive customer-feedback terminal when you add a phone to it: http://www.advantech.eu/products/HIT-W181/mod_449E7631-BDF9-46EE-BCC2-67A2DBD6835F.aspx