Electronic kiosks provide 24/7 assistance for city visitors, including maps, and information on public transport, events, news, and services. After the quakes, our original i-Station kiosks were damaged and needed to be removed. This gave us an opportunity to re-think how we could create a kiosk with a more versatile design: one that was cheaper to manufacture, maintain, and upgrade.

About the InfoCube

The prototype uses three tablets with 10″ screens, in a durable perspex casing, and displays content from our Christchurch SmartView web app. Because the cube is balanced on one corner, the design puts the three touch screens at different heights and angles, making them accessible for adults, children, and wheelchair users alike.

Any browser-based content can be displayed on the touch-screens. All the kiosks need to operate is power and access to the internet.

The prototype InfoCube is a great example of the Smart Cities philosophy:

• Re-uses a tried and true technology instead of inventing expensive new interfaces. Tablets are readily available, relatively cheap, and easy to replace or upgrade.
• Internet connection and web browser are built in, so there’s no need for custom software or connections.
• Touch screen interface is easy to use, and a web browser is familiar to people of all ages and backgrounds.
• The innovative design is a stylish solution, so InfoCube installations become accessible, functional modern art.

What’s next?

The Smart Cities team is investigating the feasibility of manufacturing a production version as “mobile kiosks” for internal deployment.