CMS student redesigns tube map

Dan Flatters' tube map in action

A frustrated rail-user has come up with a new computer-based way of viewing passenger information on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The system generates a 3D virtual-reality map of the DLR showing geographically correct station positions and real-time train progress.

Dan Flatters, a Multimedia Technology student at the University of Greenwich, designed the system as his final year degree project.

Dan said: “Harry Beck's tube map is a design classic but as a London Underground user I've often found it misleading. When I've needed to make a quick decision about whether it's quicker to walk to my destination or wait for the next train, the geographically inaccurate map hasn't been much help.

“My real-time information display provides up-to-date service information to passengers - via screens on the platform or potentially via mobile phones . This would enable them to monitor the progress of the train that they are waiting for. They could then make an informed decision about what to do in the event of long delays, avoiding an unnecessarily long wait.”

Dan's university tutor, Dr Ray Stoneham, said: “The project provides a real-time virtual reality environment where users can immediately see the flow of all the trains on the Docklands Light Railway. It clearly demonstrates how information visualisation is more effective than text when conveying complex spatial information.”

Notes:

• Dan Flatters is studying for a BSc (Hons) Multimedia Technology degree at the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences, University of Greenwich.
• The system can be viewed at the University of Greenwich Multimedia Technology degree show entitled Inspire.
• Harry Beck, an engineering draughtsman, designed the familiar tube map in 1932.