Visual Refinement: Heads Up Dispay

Concept: Heads Up Display potential challenges

Assuming that the information on the heads up display is all relevant, very useful, and not too distracting, there would be a number of technical challenges to overcome:

- how to make the display? Using thin film technology (see current work from Sony)
- need location smarts built into the bus and landmark information
- need good ventilation to keep the glass from fogging up too much - perhaps this technology could be built into the material/glass itself
- needs to be durable

Concept: Heads Up Display Use

A Heads up Display (HUD) is any transparent display that presents data without requiring the user to look away from his or her usual viewpont. The origin of the name stems from the user being able to view information with their head "up" and looking forward, instead of angled down looking at lower instruments.

HUDs have been used for years for helping aircraft pilots navigate and more importantly target enemy aircraft. More recently, it's been used for car dashboards; however, the most popular contemporary usage appears to be 1st person shooter video games. The HUD is frequently used to simultaneously display several pieces of information including the main character's health, items, relative position, and an indication of game progression (ie. points).

The most useful aspect of 1st person gaming is the fact that the game is user-centric and all graphical information is ideal for the individual. If we were able to take some aspect of this and apply it create a user-centric bus passenger experience, it would be awesome.

Some information shown on gaming HUDs:
- health/lives
- time (usually a countdown timer)
- weapons/ammo
- capabilities
- menus (to exit, change options)
- game progression (current score, money, level)
- mini-map (show relative position, sometimes radar like, locations like safe houses, streets)
- speedometer (for driving games)
- context-sensitive information (shown only as it becomes important)
- reticle/cursor/crosshair - indication of character aim or focus


For the bus, we'd implement a sparse HUD. Too much info would overwhelm the typical passenger. Just adding key touchpoints will make the displays very useful for passengers when they think "Where am I now, and when do I get off?" The POWER of the HUD really shines during the night when passengers can't see major landmarks through the conventional window. The HUD would aid passengers at night as its aided aircraft pilots.

The HUD also works naturally with the passenger since they're looking out the window most of the time for wayfinding information.

Possible passenger HUD information:
- current time
- route info (ie. bus, route, zone... etc)
- mini-map showing relative position and landmarks
- context-sensitive information such as NEXT STOP, CURRENT STOP, PAST STOP
- reticle/cursor/crosshair - indicate landmarks or other visual cues

Concept: Simple Improvements

There are some very simple things that can be done to improve the current wayfinding state of the bus. Replacing some of the advertising with route maps is a start. The media can be traditional plastic or thin film display technology. Adding route maps that can be taken home can be useful. Adding a strip that runs the entire length of the bus can inform the passenger what the current zone is, and if they change zones.

Benefits:
- route information readily available to most passengers, most of the time
- zone information available to all passengers

Drawbacks:
- advertisers might not be too happy, so fares may have to go up

Reseach: Prime Visual Areas + Lid (ceiling)

As previously discussed, most small buses do not have route information. They also do not have information that give a passenger a relative location. Wayfinding is primarily performed by looking out the window, asking another person, or researching online before boarding the bus.

The ceiling space hold great opportunity for additional wayfinding information. Perhaps it can be used as a general ZONE indicator.

Research: Prime Visual Areas

The above diagram shows very simplified view of the areas of the bus that are accessible to most passengers most of the time even when the bus if filled with passengers. (Accessible = line of sight) This diagram just shows the starboard side of the bus from the inside.

Research: Concept Materials

Wayfinding systems may benefit greatly from future concept materials.
Thin, flexible, and durable describe the future materials that will be used for:
1. electronic display
2. thin film paper display
3. form and structure

There are so many potential applications of these technologies on the bus!

Some quick lists:
- wrapping wayfinding materials (ie. real time maps) on walls, windows, etc
- bus elements (such as seats) that conform to the passenger as needed
- augmenting windows with aircraft like info displays of clarifying information
- bus passes can become truly awesome, multifunctional, and simple