The engineering geniuses at MIT have come up with a bus stop of the future, and it’s loaded with more functionality than you could shake an iPhone at. Dubbed the EyeStop, it’s collaboration between engineers in MIT’s SENSEable City Lab and architects and features large, multi-touch e-ink screens, ambient displays, and an array of environmental sensors.
“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,” said Carlo Ratti, Head of the SENSEable City Lab at MIT
Riders can also use the bus stop to monitor their real-time exposure to pollutants, surf the Web, plan a bus trip using an interactive map, and use their mobile devices as an interface with the bus shelter. There’s also an electronic bulletin board that allows users to post ads and community announcements, which the designers feel enhance the EyeStop’s functionality as a community gathering space.
The EyeStop is solar powered, and in addition to displaying routine information like bus arrival times and available routes, it also acts as an active environmental sensing node, collecting real-time information about the surrounding environment.
Pretty slick.
Source: BoingBoing
The new EyeStop might be a cool thing while hanging out at the bus stop, but I still have to contend with those dang arrogant bastards known as MUNI bus drivers.