Bus stop thesis

Bus Stop Design Industrial Design Winter 2014

Submitted by: Sibi Chakravarthy Muraliswaran

FDA Department of Industrial Design

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Table of Contents

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Part 1: Exploration of the Problem Area

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1.1 Project statement

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1.2 Related products, Concepts and Design Trends in the Market

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1.2.1 Solar Bus Stops

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1.2.2 Concepts and Design Trends

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1.3. Related Technologies, Materials, Production Techniques

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1.4 Characteristics of the Potential User Group

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1.5 Conclusions

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Part 2: Exploration of the Solution Area

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2.1 Project constraints,

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2.2 Objectives and Directives

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2.3 Further Research

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2.4 Analysis of Potential Design Solutions

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Part 3: Design Solutions

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3.1 Description of Design Solution

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3.2 Justification of Design Decisions

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3.3 Orthographic views

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3.4 References

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List of Tables and Illustrations

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Fig.1 – Salem

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Fig. 2 - San Francisco

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Fig. 3 – Japan

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Fig. 4 Los Angeles

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Fig. 5 - Rendering

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Fig. 6 – Rendering Front

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Fig. 7 – Rendering Back

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Fig. 8 – Orthographic front

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Fig. 9 – Orthographic Top

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Fig. 10 – Section

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Acknowledgement

I would like to thank Olga Litvinova for her guidance and assistance on this project. Also I would like to thank Salem Corporation for providing me with the technical information and research needed for this project.

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Part 1: Exploration of the Problem Area 1.1 Project statement The aim of this project was to design and create a bus stop with services for mobile phones in Salem (Tamil Nadu, India). This design should have ample space to sit and stand for people waiting for their bus, and a facility for them to easily recharge their phones on the go, rather than waiting in queues.

The need for this project arose from the problem of the residents of Salem not having proper bus stop infrastructure and facilities. Many of the bus stops do not have proper shelter, seats, aesthetic appeal or offer any kind of comfort.

Fig.1- Salem

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1.2 Related products, Concepts and Design Trends in the Market 1.2.1Solar Bus stop Situated at San Francisco, U.S.A the new bus shelter features an undulating solar roof that calls to mind both the hills of San Francisco and a seismic wave. The roof is constructed from an innovative 40% post-industrial recycled polycarbonate material embedded with thin-film photovoltaic cells, and the steel structure is composed of 75% recycled material. The shelter also features a pushbutton update system, more room for transit information, and is expected feed back energy into the city’s electrical grid.

Fig. 2 - San Francisco The Eco-Shell solar powered bus stop which is currently available in Japan. All energy from the sun will be used to power the energy efficient LED lighting so that the bus stop needs not suck up juice from the grid when dusk falls. Not only that, the Eco-Shell will also come with an outlet which lets you use it as an emergency power source – such as during an emergency.

Fig. 3 – Japan In Los Angeles, Sun Tran transit bus shelters utilize solar powered lights to reduce the amount of energy used to provide safe and well-lit waiting areas for passengers. Solar bus shelters are part of the effort to “green” transportation, along with green buildings, around the globe in railways, buses and even on the high seas.

Fig. 4 Los Angeles

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1.2.2 Concepts and Design Trends Bus shelters have been around for many years but have acquired an appeal lately. Being a public amenity, they are widely used across the world by commuters. They are important transition points and a way of relaxation for the endless travelers who visit them. Innovation and technology has found its presence in almost all things we come across in our daily lives.

Innovation in this area can go a long way to ease the daily lives of the common people.

Recently, bus shelters have undergone tremendous modernism which is mainly a blend of technology and sustainable solutions. Organizations, particularly public institutions, have felt the need to improvise the bus shelters which depict a nation’s smart image. Besides being a public utility, tailored bus shelters can provide many other facilities which can ease the life of the public by saving time and effort. By emerging as a multi-utility, bus shelters can prove to be more than just traditional bus stops. Travelers can get instant information about their routes and connectivity without any hassle of being confused or uncertain. Bus shelters which use solar energy are an excellent way of saving on the scarce energy resources of the nation. The inclusion of amenities like telephone, internet-enabled tools, bill changers, etc. would give added advantage to the users. Bus shelters are found to have many encouraging features like Wi-Fi, instant display of route information, CCTV, comfortable seating arrangement, etc.

1.3. Related Technologies, Materials, Production Techniques Bus stop infrastructure ranges from a simple pole and sign, to a rudimentary shelter, to sophisticated structures, and can either be built up on the spot (at the particular location) or produced as a pre-fabricated unit. Bus stop shelters may have a full or partial roof, supported by a two, three or four sided construction. Modern stops are mere steel and glass/Perspex (acrylic) constructions, although in other places, stops may be wooden brick or concrete built. Manufacturers are smartly using aluminum and stainless steel to produce sustainable and energy efficient frames for the bus shelters. Special shatter proof glasses can make the structure safer for travelers.

The construction may include small inbuilt seats. The construction may feature advertising, from simple posters, to complex illuminated, changeable or animated displays. Some installations have also included interactive advertising. Design and construction may be uniform to reflect a large corporate or local authority provider, or installations may be more personal or distinctive where a small local authority such as a parish council is responsible for the stop. The stop may include separate street furniture such as a bench, lighting and a trash receptacle.

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1.4 Characteristics of the Potential User Group The potential user group for this project will be daily commuters who use public transport to go to work every day (this will be the majority of users). These users require a safe, spacious, comfortable place to sit or stand and wait for their bus to arrive. Including the facility where they can recharge their mobile phones is an important feature as many of the commuters have very busy lives and do not have time to run errands; in this way they can multitask while waiting for the bus.

In general the user group for a bus stop consists of: People with pushchairs.

People with young children.

Elderly people.

Passengers with shopping or luggage.

People with impaired vision.

1.5 Conclusions Therefore, according to the above research and information, I have designed this bus stop with the aim of catering to the needs the local commuters in Salem. I hope that through my design, I can achieve the goals of modern bus stop designs (safety, protection, comfort, high technology, ecology, etc.) by using appropriate materials, modern technology and production techniques that can benefit society and the environment together.

In my design, I have incorporated solar panels to make an eco-friendly, sustainable and energy saving bus stop (as there is ample sunlight energy in Salem) and a mobile phone recharge machine to allow commuters to easily recharge their phones on the go (something which will be very convenient for them).

Part 2: Exploration of the Solution Area 2.1 Project constraints, A bus stop should be designed in a way that people should be able to see the bus coming without leaving the shelter.

A bus stop should make it easier to board the bus, it should not obstruct boarding, and it should not create confusion.

A public phone will not be installed in the bus stop (as most bus stops do) since the society in general do not use public phones and rely on their mobile phones.

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2.2 Objective and directives.

The main objectives of this project are: - Design a bus stop for the local commuters and other users of Salem - Traditional design with a modern twist to it -Comfortable seating and waiting area -Solar panels to generate energy to make the bus stop self-sufficient and sustainable - Shelter to protect people from extreme temperatures of 38â ° Celsius (the solar panels will also absorb most of the energy from the sun) -Mobile phone recharge machine - Provide route information -The design must be approved by the city council -Material should be durable, resistant & sustainable 2.3 Further Research The structure of the bus stop is made of concrete, which can later be cladded with vandalism proof panels if needed.

In many bus stops advertising panels are used; these can be used for financing bus stop maintenance.

Inverters are used to convert direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) for any electrical equipment, which can later be replaced by equipment that run on direct current (DC) itself.

2.4 Analysis of Potential Design Solutions The main structure of the bus stop will be concrete and stainless steel will be used for the roofing, which should be sustainable, rust resistant and durable.

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Part 3: Design Solutions 3.1 Description of Design Solution The project is to design a bus stop with a mobile phone recharging machine. The objects designed within the bus stop have to have the same 'style which can be achieved by using same materials, shapes or concepts.

3.2 Justification.

This design is simple but at the same time different and unique as bus stops are pretty much non-existent in Salem.

As the construction of bus stops is usually part of government expenditure, I decided to use cost effective materials to reduce costs and increase efficiency.

Materials are resistant, sustainable and durable: concrete and stainless steel. Solar panels will be added to the top roof of the bus stop to absorb and conserve energy from the sun, and also to reduce the transmission of heat below the roof shelter.

Seats at the bus stop will be automatically foldable (they will have to be pushed down to sit on and will automatically spring back up against the wall after the user has gotten off).

Fig. 5 - Rendering

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Fig. 6 – Rendering Front

Fig. 7 – Rendering Back

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3.3 Orthographic views

Fig. 8 – Orthographic front

Fig. 9 – Orthographic Top

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Fig. 10 – Section

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3.4 References

http://inhabitat.com/solar-powered-bus-shelter-unveiled-in-san-francisco/ http://www.ubergizmo.com/2011/08/eco-shell-solar-powered-bus-stop-in-japan/ http://www.solaripedia.com/13/199/1997/solar_bus_shelter_la.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_stop http://www.designbuzz.com/design-trends-tech-bus-shelter-design-concepts/

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