The Interactive Bus Stop

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No one likes waiting at bus stops. So wouldn’t it be nice if you could check your email, share information on a digital message board and track the progress of the bus you’re waiting for, all at a bus stop?
 
MIT architects and engineers unveiled a design for just such a bus stop at the Genio Fiorentino festival in Florence this May. Called EyeStop and developed by the MIT SENSEable City Lab, the Adaptive Bus Stop takes the tedium out of waiting for the bus and showcases the potential of next generation urban transportation design as adaptive, sensing, responsive and interactive. EyeStop was developed by Giovanni de Niederhausern, Shaocong Zhou, Assaf Biderman and Carlo Ratti, in collaboration with the Province of Florence and the local public transportation authority ATAF.
 
The EyeStop is partially covered with touch sensitive e-INK and screens, and features state-of-the-art sensing technologies and a variety of interactive devices. Travellers can plan a bus trip on an interactive map, surf the internet, monitor their real-time exposure to pollutants and use their mobile devices as an interface with the bus stop. One can also post advertisements and community announcements to an electronic bulletin board, which makes the EyeStop a great way to help to bring a community together.
 
Carlo Ratti, Head of the SENSEable City Lab, enthused, “The EyeStop could change the whole experience of urban travel. At the touch of a finger, passengers can get the shortest bus route to their destination or the position of all the buses in the city. The EyeStop will also glow at different levels of intensity to signal the distance of an approaching bus.”
 
In addition to displaying information, the bus stop also acts as an active environmental sensing node, powering itself through sunlight and collecting real-time information about the surrounding environment.
 
The design incorporates several types of digital technologies in order to offer these services to the public, as well as enabling the generation of advertising revenue. Unlike the mass-produced bus stands which populate most cities, the Adaptable Bus Pole is designed to fit the physical characteristics of the location in which it is installed, meaning that each pole looks slightly different to each other. A parametric design model determines a unique design for each stop, providing optimal sheltering and maximum exposition of the photovoltaic surfaces to the sun. The bus stops range from single upright curved poles to larger shelters. The larger designs incorporate a sound system, potential for an advertisement with an LED backlight and a wall for projections to be displayed.
 
Simple materials like shiny steel, extra clear glass and the gray local stone pietra serena, together with an elegant shape and minimalist design, enable the pole to fit into the historic urban fabric of Florence.
 
A smart information design system means the bus stop can give information on waiting times and the distance away of the bus. Screens will display the number of the buses and a lighting frame blinking with different intensities and modalities communicates the approach of a bus immediately.
 
The interactive map means that users can place a finger on their desired destination and the bus stop will the show the shortest bus-travel path from where they are. Using information from a GPS tracking system, it will also show where the relevant buses are positioned in real-time and when they are expected to arrive at their destination. Users can beam this itinerary onto their mobile devices using a Bluetooth link or request a SMS notification when the bus is about to arrive.
 
Both travellers and passersby can post advertisement and community announcements on to a moderated bulletin board placed on the bus stop, and advertisement information can be uploaded by drawing with the fingers on the touch-sensitive surface or by sending a video, image or text message from a mobile device. The touchscreen also incorporates a creative touchscreen scribble pad which users can doodle on, which will hopefully prevent users expressing themselves through graffiti!
 
There are numerous other applications that would work well at these bus stops, such as ticket vending, product vending, waste disposal, bike sharing, and an air purifier.
 
The high density of bus stops in a city will allow mobile devices to use triangulation algorithms to calculate their location to a high level of accuracy. This, in combination with the available internet connection, will allow users to receive enhanced location based services through their mobile devices. This possibility has previously been limited by the accuracy of current positioning technologies in an urban environment, so this is a very significant breakthrough.
 
The e-INK Display uses Electronic Paper Display technology which provides bright, high contrast, full viewing angle and is readable in a wide range of lighting conditions. This technology carries a charge which enables it to be updated through electronics. As it is a reflective technology, it requires no front or backlight and, importantly, it requires no power to maintain an image. A working prototype will be presented in Florence this October, and the whole project will be installed within one year.