Dynamic boarding information at train platforms wins Public Design Prize!

1 april 2016  -  Nieuws

KITT Engineering developed a new interactive LED platformbanner. For the hardware we joint forces with Ngage Media and Conclusion. Together we developed a new 6mm outdoor module, specially designed for the Dutch railroad company, the NS.

Dynamic boarding information is a service innovation design consisting of a 330m-long LED display suspended directly above the train. The strip shows where the doors will be, once the train stops; where first and second class and the quiet zone and bicycle storage area will be and how crowded the various carriages are (as measured by infrared sensors on board).

The passenger information display’s beauty and power lie in its intuitiveness. It’s such a simple, natural solution, one wonders why it took so long. It demonstrates how new technology can be used to substantially improve the passenger experience, efficiency and safety of Dutch railway traffic. The design employs a bold graphic style with immediate legibility, which is crucial in the busy atmosphere of a railway station. The display appears as a natural extension of the train as it pulls into the station.

The design is the result of an intensive co-creation process in which stakeholders, including passengers, worked together closely, their respective areas of expertise and roles in the process complementing each other.

Rotterdam Design Public Prize

publieksprijs_001

More than 16.000 people have voted for their favorite design, both in the exhibition and online. Below is a survey of the projects that have ended up in the top 5.

  1. Edenspiekermann, ProRail, STBY and NS Travelers, Dynamic boarding information at train platforms 3.662 votes (3.317 votes online & 367 votes at exhibition)
  2. Reframing Studio and Parnassia Group, temstem 3.524 votes (3.275 votes online & 249 votes at exhibition)
  3. Bas van Abel, Fairphone 1.614 votes (1.398 votes online & 216 votes at exhibition)
  4. PAL-V Europe NV and Spark design & innovation,  PAL-V 1.375 votes (1.078 votes online & 297 votes at exhibition)
  5. Massoud Hassani, Mine Kafon 1.266 votes (617 votes online & 649 votes at exhibition)

By realizing this public prize, Het Nieuwe Instituut, emphasizes the importance of a broad public for the entire design field. This public prize appeals to Het Nieuwe Instituut because, unlike other design prizes, it is not based on categories but on the attitude towards design. With three nominations from each of five scouts, the Rotterdam Design Prize offers an up-to-the-minute picture of Dutch design.

For the software, KITT Engineering in close cooperation with ProRail, co-developed the presentation platform, based on the travel application from the NS and the LED banner. Our partners, mainly during the night, installed the LED modules, according to strict safety terms.

So, how does it work: the LED banner at the Den Bosch station receives information from 11 intercity trains, all equipped with infra-red sensors in the in-and outside doors, provided by NedTtrain, subsidiary of the NS. The system counts all in-and outgoing passengers at the balconies and coupés. This informations is transferred to the LED banner at the station. The electronic LED banner is a joint initiative of ProRail and NS.

 

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