Smart cities on electronic paper: digitalized public transport information in Slovene capital

As part of the European Green Capital 2016 project the city of Ljubljana, Slovenia, is implementing advanced passenger information displays; developed on electronic paper they enable extremely low energy consumption and feature minimal environmental impact.

After helping deploy the first e-paper traffic signs in Sydney we assisted the City of Ljubljana in setting up bus stops that use the energy saving displays to show advanced passenger information.

Smart cities are running on electronic paper: after helping deploy the world’s first electronic paper traffic signs in Sydney we assisted the City of Ljubljana in setting up bus stops that show advanced passenger information on eink displays.

Running on Visionect’s hardware and software, the new electronic paper screens will show bus schedules, arrival information and potential route changes on four bus stops along Ljubljana’s Slovenska cesta, in the very heart of the city centre.

The electronic paper displays will show bus schedules and arrival times, as well as information about line detours or new routes and city news.

Bus schedules and arrival times with passenger information

Electronic paper technology has two key features that fit perfectly into the production of road signs and public transportation systems: visibility and low energy consumption.

Electronic paper technology has two key features that fit perfectly into the production of road signs and public transportation systems: visibility and low energy consumption.

An electronic paper display will feature perfect readability also in less than ideal light conditions, such as under direct sunlight. An additional advantage is the fact that the screen will use electricity only when changing content and will use no power to retain an image already displayed.

In addition to static bus schedules the electronic paper displays will also show exact bus arrival times and passenger information – such as notifications about line detours or new routes, city news and updates about different events and nearby tourist information.

The new electronic paper boards will be installed at bus stops on Slovenska cesta, the main Ljubljana city center street.

Creating personalized services

By implementing smart displays Ljubljana has an opportunity to establish personalized services for its citizens: the partially sighted could, for example, increase the font size on screen or read the screen content with the help of their smartphones, with many similar adjustments possible for the disabled and the elderly.

In addition to static bus schedules the electronic paper displays will show exact bus arrival times and passenger information, establishing personalized services for Ljubljana’s citizens.

Benefiting are also newcomers to the city, with Visionect and the City of Ljubljana making sure that the start of the new school year won’t result in confusion for the new students arriving to the university town, all thanks to the advanced bus stops with electronic paper bus arrival displays.