IN-Visible: perceiving invisible urban information through ambient media

ABSTRACT

In this paper, we introduce IN-Visible, an urban system that enhances the contact between people and the subway. IN-Visible was conceived as a two-way system that brings users of the subway closer to the "exterior" urban environment and, through ambient media, provides walkers-by with knowledge about the subway, such as timings, motion, etc.The intention is to reflect upon how, using ambient media, structural urban elements can have an adequate impact on the urban space and make that meaningful for potential users.We propose one way of implementing this idea in the surroundings of one specific subway station and discuss ways in which the system may be generalized so as to serve other stations, trains and cities.

REFERENCES

• 1: Hiroshi Ishii , Sandia Ren , Phil Frei, Pinwheels: visualizing information flow in an architectural space, CHI '01 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems, March 31-April 05, 2001, Seattle, Washington [doi>10.1145/634067.634135]
• 2: Hiroshi Ishii , Craig Wisneski , Scott Brave , Andrew Dahley , Matt Gorbet , Brygg Ullmer , Paul Yarin, ambientROOM: integrating ambient media with architectural space, CHI 98 conference summary on Human factors in computing systems, p.173-174, April 18-23, 1998, Los Angeles, California, United States [doi>10.1145/286498.286652]

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.1 Multimedia Information Systems
          Subjects: Artificial, augmented, and virtual realities

General Terms:
Design, Performance

Keywords:
ambient media, awareness, communication, subway, transportation, underground, urban elements, urban impact, urban networks, urban references, visibility