Development of interactive screens in rail vehicles

Abstract: This thesis consists of a product development project carried out in cooperation with Bombardier Transportation in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The aim of this work was to develop a new infotainment system (information-based media content or programming that also includes entertainment content in an effort to enhance popularity with audiences and consumers) (David, 2005) for rail vehicles to counteract negative emotions such as boredom and impatience, and strengthen Bombardier's competitive rail market. Bombardier Transportation is originally from Canada and is the global leader with products and solutions within the rail industry. The work has had its focus on two areas; passenger’s experience of the new infotainment system and the construction of the protection enclosure of the proposed electronics. The development process by (Ullman, 2010) served as a base of the process which has been followed in this work, however, with an amplified focus on the users. Ergonomics studies were performed using the program ICIDO early in the process to investigate possible locations for screens on the trains as well as arrangement of seats. User Experience Prototyping was done in the middle of the project using cardboard and printed images to get a better understanding of important aspects of such a product to be successful in the market by the end users. A virtual prototype was developed where the windows of the train functions as interactive screens by usage of projectors. The prototype was assigned materials but also examined and evaluated within manufacturability, maintenance, and its economic aspects. The tests showed that the concept functioned as desired, but that there are also other aspects that need to be sorted out. The rail industry has numerous directions when it comes to installing electronics, but also when it comes to materials that may be used on board. This means that tests needs to be performed for each provision. None of this was done in this project because of the project's time constraints but need to be concluded in order to continue with the product development. The conclusion is that passengers, Bombardier and operators are optimistic towards the concept. The concept has advantages over current infotainment systems available on the market today as it provides larger screens, offers interactive features, has less impact on train interior, and increases advertisement revenues than traditional mass transit advertisement on billboards.