Metro Dot is a bracelet type transportation card for the visually impaired. While using the subway, you can verify at which station you are at or how many stations are left until your destination through the braille on the bracelet. Also, the bracelet will let you know when to get off or when it is time to transfer by vibration, so you do not have to worry about missing your stop.
Visually impaired people experience many difficulties when using the public transportation. When you are on the subway, the most commonly used transportation, you must pay careful attention to the announcements at all times until you reach your destination. If you miss the announcements or couldn’t hear them due to the noise, it is difficult to identify which station you are currently at or how much further you need to go.
Metro Dot offers the visually impaired to confirm their location by touch, easing the burden of having to continually keep their ears open for subway announcements. Thus, allowing them to enjoy their time freely during their ride. It is hoped that the visually impaired have the option of receiving subway information in other ways other than through hearing only.
Designer : Hoyeoul Lee, Jinwoo Kim and Sangyong Choi
As a result of observing people’s behavior of using transportation systems, it’s been identified that people use their hands the most. And most keep their transportation cards in their pockets or inside their wallets. Previous card types need to be taken out of their pockets or wallets for use but Metro Dot is placed on your wrist at all times providing subway information anytime without that hassle. Furthermore, we have used the Braille on the bracelet for the visually impaired to easily read the information with their touch.
Up to now, many products for the disabled required excessive movements or obtrusive actions to use them attracting undesired attention. The simple Metro Dot was designed for all types of users and can be worn with the familiarity of an accessory without any repulsion.
The braille can be imprinted on the surface with the technique of EAP(Electro Active Polymer). The electronic signals are sent to the surface raising the constant magnet to make a Braille pattern on the silicon rubber surface, informing the user of the station information and number of stations left.
Destination and train travel information are transmitted to the subway through the rail tracks, used as a conductor, sent from the TCC(Train Control Computer) in between stations. Metro Dot provides next station information through the subway’s receiver antenna.
Click above image for bigger view
