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Posts Tagged ‘Pedestrians’

Germany Puts Stoplights in Sidewalks for Distracted Pedestrians

28 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Gadgets & Geekery & Technology. ]

safety signals

Walkers preoccupied with their mobile devices as they traverse Augsburg, Germany, are starting to notice something new in their peripheral vision: sidewalk-embedded traffic lights designed to let them know when to stop and when to go.

sidewalk embedded traffic signals

The city, concerned about people looking down and ignoring traffic signals, decided to step in with this new invention. The design addresses both people who are at risk of walking out into active lanes, but also lets those standing and staring into their phones when they can safely walk again.

Currently, the city is testing these out in two prime trial locations where railroad tracks run roughly at the same level as sidewalks, making it easy for people to miss physical cues (like a change in pavement elevation) and where a vehicle is less likely to be able to stop in time (train versus car).

sidewalk signals walking train

A survey conducted in Berlin and several other European countries revealed that nearly 20% of pedestrians (mostly younger people) missed the signal change because they were distracted by their phones. Whether the city should accommodate such behavior is, of course, another question entirely.

According to Stadtwerke Augsburg (translated), “The stubborn look at the smartphone can lead on the road to dangerous situations,” hence the decision “to enhance security for smartphone users.”

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Run Bell: Warn Slow Pedestrians to Get Out of Your Way

If you feel like it’s a little rude to yell “Watch out!” when you’re running down the sidewalk and approaching a slow group of people, …
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Street Pong: Play with Fellow Pedestrians at Traffic Lights

You might not be too concerned about how many light cycles go by before you actually get to cross the street if you’re too busy playing pong with the …
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Hell is Other People: Avoid Your Friends Using Social Media

‘Hell is Other People’ is a smartphone app that will show you where all your friends are in a map based on social media check-ins – so you can avoid them.
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Run Bell: Warn Slow Pedestrians to Get Out of Your Way

30 Jan

[ By Steph in Design & Products & Packaging. ]

runbell 1

If you feel like it’s a little rude to yell “Watch out!” when you’re running down the sidewalk and approaching a slow group of people, the gentle ring of a bicycle bell could be just as effective and slightly more polite. A product called Runbell takes those iconic little brass bells off the handlebars and puts them onto your fingers so you can courteously warn pedestrians on shared pathways as you approach, even when you’re on your own two feet.

runbell 2

runbell 5

Lightweight and frills-free, the bell is made of brass for optimal sound and comes slightly oversized with silicone inserts so you can make it fit just right. That way, the rings remain adjustable even for cold days when you’re wearing gloves. It weighs less than an ounce and features a striker that can be activated from any angle, though it’s loudest if you pull it straight back.

runbell 3

runbell 4

The Runbell was funded on Kickstarter and is now available for purchase in men’s and women’s versions for $ 25. It’s easy to imagine this in use not just by runners, but frustrated native New Yorkers and other city denizens who just want people to stop blocking sidewalks staring at their phones or gawking at the scenery.

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Time Stands Still: Sublime Slow-Motion Subway Panoramas

A subway speeds by the platform, leaving most passengers with a fleeting impression and fast-fading memories of people glimpsed only for a moment, but not this …
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Mirrored Street Facade Art Turns Pedestrians into Acrobats

At first: vertigo. You are moving along the sidewalk, when suddenly you see the front of a structure, only on its side, extruded from the ground below you.
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Apostrophe-Shaped Bridge Doubles as a Ride for Pedestrians

Shaped like an apostrophe and bearing a shark-inspired fin, the Scale Lane Bridge in Hull, England allows pedestrians to go along for the ride when it swings …
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Street Pong: Play with Fellow Pedestrians at Traffic Lights

09 Dec

[ By Steph in Gaming & Computing & Technology. ]

Street Light Pong 1

You might not be too concerned about how many light cycles go by before you actually get to cross the street if you’re too busy playing pong with the person waiting on the other side of the intersection. The ActiWait project aims to brings ‘street pong’ to intersections around the world, with two functioning games already installed in the city of Hildesheim, Germany.

Street Light Pong 2

The concept made its debut on the web in 2012, with the original video (below) getting so much attention that the interaction design students from HAWK University who created it decided to make it real. Designers Amelie Künzler, Sandro Angel and Holger Michel collaborated with traffic experts and fabricators to create a device that can be installed on traffic poles.

Street Light Pong 3

“Yeah well… the idea was simple but traffic engineering isn’t,” say the designers on their IndieGoGo page, where they’re currently raising funds to bring the ActiWait to more cities. “So we got us some support from companies and professionals in the traffic technology industry. The prototype is 3D printed and fully equipped, the first game is programmed and we’ve already launched our product in October so we can proudly say: the world’s first smart pedestrian light button is finally here!”

Street Light Pong 4

The product needs funding to develop hardware and software for the final stage, a new professionaly-produced case, and to pass safety tests. The designers also intend to make it wifi capable for news feeds, navigation, traffic education and other applications in addition to pong – even speed dating. Learn more at IndieGoGo.

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Stop, Look and Love: 8 Redesigns of Classic Traffic Lights

The instantly-recognizable traffic light has been a standard sight on streets around the world for generations, but these designs aim to improve on a classic.
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Dancing Traffic Signal Makes Crossing the Street More Fun

Impatient pedestrians eager to get across the street stop, point and laugh when they realize that the usually-static human figure in the crosswalk signal is …
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Illuminating Inventions: 10 Twists to Simple Street Lights

Functional street lights tend to fade into the background for most of us, but these designers have creatively re-imagined the humble piece of urban furniture.
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Apostrophe-Shaped Bridge Doubles as a Ride for Pedestrians

23 Dec

[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 1

Shaped like an apostrophe and bearing a shark-inspired fin, the Scale Lane Bridge in Hull, England allows pedestrians to go along for the ride when it swings open to allow ships passage. Made of black steel in a curving form, it resembles a ship when tucked up against the riverbank and viewed from afar.

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 2

The Scale Lane Bridge is believed to be the world’s first functioning bridge that enables pedestrians to stay on it while it opens and closes. Spanning the River Hull, the bridge cantilevers 35 meters (about 115 feet) to the east from its perch on the west bank.

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 3

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 4

The bridge provides a walkable route from a new public square and the Museums Quarter on the west bank to ‘The Deep,’ an aquarium that’s one of East Yorkshire’s biggest attractions. The spine of the bridge allows enough room for smaller boats to pass beneath it.

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 5

A viewing deck and seamless steel balustrade makes pedestrians feel like they’re on board a docked ocean liner, and offers a variety of seating areas. When the bridge opens, it activates a sequence of rhythmic bells combined with pulsing light to alert pedestrians to the imminent rotation and make the ride more exciting.

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Grass-Covered Bridge in Amsterdam Doubles as Public Park

This proposal for a pedestrian bridge in Amsterdam doubles as a public park with wildlife, recreation, a cafe and even a sloped roof for sledding in winter. Click Here to Read More »»


Wild Water Crossings: 14 Bold & Crazy Bridge Concepts

Even ordinary bridges are complex structures, but add in multiple levels,  undulating ribbons of steel, elements that dip into the water or roads that split … Click Here to Read More »»


Stylish Skyways: 13 Boldly Futuristic Bridge Concepts

These 13 bridges aren’t just a way to get across a river or valley – they’re futuristic wonders filled with activity and unusual functions. Click Here to Read More »»


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[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

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Apostrophe-Shaped Bridge Doubles as a Ride for Pedestrians

10 Dec

[ By Steph in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 1

Shaped like an apostrophe and bearing a shark-inspired fin, the Scale Lane Bridge in Hull, England allows pedestrians to go along for the ride when it swings open to allow ships passage. Made of black steel in a curving form, it resembles a ship when tucked up against the riverbank and viewed from afar.

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 2

The Scale Lane Bridge is believed to be the world’s first functioning bridge that enables pedestrians to stay on it while it opens and closes. Spanning the River Hull, the bridge cantilevers 35 meters (about 115 feet) to the east from its perch on the west bank.

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 3

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 4

The bridge provides a walkable route from a new public square and the Museums Quarter on the west bank to ‘The Deep,’ an aquarium that’s one of East Yorkshire’s biggest attractions. The spine of the bridge allows enough room for smaller boats to pass beneath it.

Scale Lane Pedestrian Bridge 5

A viewing deck and seamless steel balustrade makes pedestrians feel like they’re on board a docked ocean liner, and offers a variety of seating areas. When the bridge opens, it activates a sequence of rhythmic bells combined with pulsing light to alert pedestrians to the imminent rotation and make the ride more exciting.

Want More? Click for Great Related Content on WebUrbanist:

Grass-Covered Bridge in Amsterdam Doubles as Public Park

This proposal for a pedestrian bridge in Amsterdam doubles as a public park with wildlife, recreation, a cafe and even a sloped roof for sledding in winter.
Click Here to Read More »»


Wild Water Crossings: 14 Bold & Crazy Bridge Concepts

Even ordinary bridges are complex structures, but add in multiple levels,  undulating ribbons of steel, elements that dip into the water or roads that split …
Click Here to Read More »»


Stylish Skyways: 13 Boldly Futuristic Bridge Concepts

These 13 bridges aren’t just a way to get across a river or valley – they’re futuristic wonders filled with activity and unusual functions.
Click Here to Read More »»


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Mirrored Street Facade Art Turns Pedestrians into Acrobats

28 Jan

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

facade artwork mirrored illusion

At first: vertigo. You are moving along the sidewalk, when suddenly you see the front of a structure, only on its side, extruded from the ground below you. But then you look up, and realize you are part of some surreal and magical.

facade illusion street installation

Via TIC, “Bâtiment (Building) is a mirrored installation by artist Leandro Erlichcurrently on display at Le 104 in Paris as part of their In_Perceptions exhibition. The piece is clever in its simplicity: a massive building facade is constructed on the floor near a towering mirror giving anyone reflected the uncanny appearance of being weightless.“

swimming pool illusion installation

His similarly-stunning pool installation is another great optical illusion for those above or below the faux surface of the water, either looking down on participants who, by rights, should be swimming (if not drowning), or looking up through the shimmering reflective surface.

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Reflections on Nature: Mirrored Gate Leads to Another World

Step through the looking glass and into an understated art project that turns a simple passageway into a lighthearted journey back to childhood wonder.
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21 Cleverly Mirrored Images & Reflected Photos

In any photographer’s bag of tricks, unusual perspective is a powerful tool. These perfect reflections make for beautifully unique photographs.
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