Haptic Feedback for Passengers Using Public Transport

People using public transport systems need two kinds of basic information - (1) when, where and which bus/train to board, and (2) when to exit the vehicle. In this paper we propose a system that helps the user know his/her stop is nearing. The main objective of our system is to overcome the ’neck down’ approach of any visual interface which requires the user to look into the mobile screen for alerts. Haptic feedback is becoming a popular feedback mode for navigation and routing applications. Here we discuss the integration of haptics into public transport systems. Our system provides information about time and distance to the destination bus stop and uses haptic feedback in the form of the vibration alarm present in the phone to alert the user when the desired stop is being approached. The key outcome of this research is haptics being an effective alternative to provide feedback for public transport users