This is the world's coolest bus stop - a new interactive bus stop designed for the city of Florence. Unveiled earlier this month and designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology architects and engineers, working with city and transports experts, the EyeStop is a thing of beauty. I personally wouldn't go that far but then I'm not a technically minded person.
However, 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 services. Riders can plan a bus trip on an interactive map, surf the web, monitor their real-time exposure to pollutants and use their mobile devices as an interface with the bus shelter. It will tell you exactly where the next bus is and it will glow with different levels of intensity to signal the distance of an approaching bus.
The writer of the article doesn't know Florence too well because he would know there's little or no vandalism there and traffic is not permitted within the boundaries of the old town, but that apart, I really don't think Dundee is ready for such an innovation, do you?
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24 comments:
Wouldn't last five minutes before being tagged by a graffiti artist in most major cities.
It would possibly be dismantled and sold in a pub within half an hour of being placed in Dundee scunnert.
Sad reflection on our society.
It might need a clearly marked 'ye can pan in this bit ya bam' section were it to be introduced to Glasgow. Existing shelters are much more accomodating in that respect and can be panned in from any angle.
Jim, erm, you speaking from experience I take it?
Subrosa,
It's pan in or be panned in around here you know. Not all of us can afford to belong to a gymnasium so the authorites place these 'work-out' facilities at locations convenient to all. While I'm on the subject of conveniences...
Ah yes, the Weegie is not bound by convention or received wisdom when it comes to finding uses for street furniture.
Not sure about Dundee, but here in the south I'd resent my council tax being hiked up even further just to amuse bus riders who wouldn't appreciate it anyway!
I'm actually a total tech-head and if I used buses I'd be really into this.
However, like your other readers, I suspect they wouldn't last 5 minutes around here . . . unfortunately!
I'd definitely try going on a bus if this was the shelter TP but, as you say, in this country this wouldn't last 2 minutes. Very sad isn't it the lack of respect given to public property, but then again, most of those who destroy things are those who have never paid taxes.
Ah Jim, I now understand your meaning of panned. I was on another tack altogether, shame on me at my age!
Subrosa,
I'm unsure of the precise etymology but it may belong to the Lanarkshire and environs patois primarily.
Usage I've heard includes, 'Ah'll pan yer heid in ya trumpet'. Not an especially affectionate statement of intent, I believe.
Evening
Dundee already has an award winning real time system and bus shelters across the City. In fact it has the highest proportion to population of real time enabled shleters across any city region.
All of Travel Dundee and Strathtay Stagecoach buses are fitted with on bus computers which report their location every 30 seconds.
I think these MIT/Italian designed sexy shleters would really fit nicely across the city centre and around the train station/Tayside/Discovery area.
Dundee is blessed with a really forward thinking head of public transport who would be able to pitch the concept to the Council and the Scottish Exec on the back of their SmartBus campaign.
Nice one Subrosa.
Go Dundee Go.
The bus shelters in Dundee were all replaced a few years ago with state of the art ones, but they had always been targetted by vandals.
Thus I thought that the more obviously 'vandalisable' new ones were in fact made of shatterproof glass or suchlike, but they weren't, and it's cost the council a fortune in repairs.
To me that kind of thing is a bit like having an old car that's constantly being vandalises and then going out and buying a brand new one.
But I suppose different rules apply when it comes to spending other people's money.
What a revelation Stuart and it says so much about Dundee council. Bus shelters without shatterproof glass - they never cease to disgust me, the intelligence level of Dundee councillors.
Will it improve with the SNP in power? We shall have to wait and see.
Oh GHF how lovely to meet someone so optimistic about Dundee plus your comments.
It would please me so much if Dundee could have such bus shelters, believe me, but from what I see we've a great deal of responsibility to teach to many folks. That begins at home because I know our schools do their utmost.
Jim I think that's one of the west coast sayings because I've never heard it this side. Mind you Stuart, Tris and others from this cold side will perhaps know better than me.
Right boys, do tell me if I'm out of touch. (I expect I am Jim).
This thing would be quite safe on my little island - unfortunately there's no buses as they might fall into the moat. What's the female from the Magic Roundabout got to do with this story anyway? I hope this is not a suble dig at Lord Zebedee?
Pan breid = deid
Hovis = brown bread = dead
'EyeSore' anyone..? (Not a great joke.) Maybe, in the near-future, a bus-stop will become an existential state-of-mind. We'll all just stand around like the penguins outside the Discovery Point, saying "Yes. Waiting for a bus you know. Marvellous. You too? Marvellous." But non-one will actually travel anywhere... [Scary music.]
I'm feeling quite mischevious tonight so i'll say that the new shelters would provide welcome protection for the Dundee teenage lassies when getting, ahem, seen to...
I could just see it being quite a hit in Stornoway Brownlie. Of course it's nothing to do with Lardy Foulkes, I do wish Flo had better taste.
I could just see it being quite a hit in Stornoway Brownlie. Of course it's nothing to do with Lardy Foulkes, I do wish Flo had better taste.
Ah Monty pan breid. In Dundee that was the posh breid.
Mek I'd love to spend time in a shelter like that. Think of the interaction and fun.
There wouldn't be that kind of fun Rab, the laddies would all be too busy pressing buttons :)
Subrosa, not sure if they're supposed to be shatterproof or not, but where there's a will there's a way, as the photos here and here demonstrate.
According to this article from last year there were 361 acts of vandalism on bus shelters in Dundee in 2007/08, each costing an average of £231 to repair, thus in total costing over £83,000.
I think the last I read was that the council threatened to dismantle any shelters that were being persistently targetted, but haven't read anything since.
Yes, I am familiar with the verb 'pan', as in "pan yer face in", or other such expressions of affection.
And how did you know I lived in Coldside? ;0)
Morning Stuart, thank you kindly for the links. Such a shame vandalism is so accepted in various areas isn't it.
Obviously you mix with the Dundee elite to have such a wide knowledge of the local vocabulary.
Very very clever, I didn't even think of that when I was typing it. Well done. One of my haunts as a child was the library and I used to stand outside asking an adult to take me in, just like the boys did at Dens Park.
Sad isn't it ;)
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