MIT unveils interactive bus shelter

The clever folks at MIT’s SENSEable City Lab have unveiled a design for a smart bus shelter that will allow travellers to stay connected as they wait for their bus to arrive. From the shelter, bus riders will be able to check email, share community information on a digital message board and even track the location of the bus they are waiting for. Dubbed Eyestop, the official prototype will be unveiled this October.

Eyestop’s ability to function as a highly interactive environment is the result of a smart skin that incorporates several types of digital technologies. "EyeStop could change the whole experience of urban travel,” said Carlo Ratti, Head of the SENSEable City Lab at MIT. “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 the approaching bus."

A parametric design model determines a unique design for each stop. The prototype, which will launch in Florence, Italy, will be made of simple materials like steel, glass and grey stone (pietra serena) and have a minimalist design to blend into the fabric of the historic city.

Eyestop was developed at the SENSEable City Laboratroy by Giovanni de Niederhousern, Shaocong Zhou, Assaf Biderman and Carlo Ratti, in collaboration with the Province of Florence and the local public transportation authority ATAF.

Sharon McHugh
US Correspondent