Some Digital Devices!

The following digital devices were observed on Monday afternoon on a walk to Union Squiare with the two Tims. We purposely left out MP3 players and cellphones, else we wouldn't make it down the block.

Time Seen,
Purpose,
Average time for an interaction.

3:34 – Crosswalk Sign
– Waverly Place and Broadway
- To time and signal to pedestrians when it is safe for them to cross the street
- 0 to 60 seconds

3:38 – Bus MetroCard machine
- Waverly Place and Broadway
- To check and debit credits from a rider's account and signal to the
driver that they're qualified to ride
- About 5 seconds

3:39 – Electric Wheelchair
– Waverly Place and Broadway
- To provide personal locomotion without the use of legs
- Ongoing

3:41 – PS3 + X360 System and Controller
– GameStop on Broadway b/w Waverly Place and 8th Street
- To simulate the visual feedback of a football game depending on input
from a game controller
- 4 to 5 hours?

3:41 – Credit Card Swiper
– Same Location
- To identify and then access and debit money from a bank account, or
to access and place a charge against a credit card
- 10 to 15 seconds

3:42 – Security Monitor
– Same Location
- To monitor and let shoppers know that they can be seen
- Instant

3:43 – UPC Scanner
- Same Location
- To keep track of outgoing products from the store's stock as they're
sold to customers
- 1 to2 seconds

3:45 – Digital Watch
– 8th Street and Broadway
-To measure time
-1 to 2 seconds

3:47 – Security Scanner
– Broadway b/w 8th St. and 9th St.
- To notify staff when a piece of inventory leaves the store without
first going through the checkout process
- Instantaneous

3:51 – Digital Camera
- Broadway b/w 8th St. and 9th St.
-To record light waves in digital media
-5 to 10 seconds

3:51 – ATM
– HSBC Broadway b/w 8th St. and 9th St.
- To debit a user's bank account and dispense cash by that amount
-30 seconds to 1 minute

3:53 – Digital Bus Sign
- Broadway and 9th St.
-To inform riders which route a bus is currently driving
-1-2 seconds

3:55 – Personal Computer (screen, keyboard)
– Chase Bank on Broadway and 10th St.
- To take in banking information from the banker and display necessary
client details
- Ongoing

3:56 – Traffic Light
- Broadway and 10th St.
- To control the flow of cars and other vehicle traffic, to signal when
it's safe to accelerate and when it's necessary to stop
- 0 to a minute

4:03 – Motorized Pedicure Massage Chair
– Broadway Spa on Broadway b/w 11th St. and 12th St.
- To relax the user by moving prods around the back, and time the
heating of the water and foot massage functionality
- About 45 minutes

4:09 – Noise-cancelling Headphones
- Broadway b/w 12th St. and 13th St.
- To cancel out ambient noise so user can hear their music more clearly
- Ongoing

4:11 – Music Previewer Device
– Virgin in Union Square
- To allow the user to listen to music from a large selection of CD's
without working at it
- Up to five or ten minutes

4:12 – DJ Sound System
- Same Location
- To allow the DJ to easily select music and broadcast it to the store
- Ongoing

4:15 – Digital Cash Register
- Same Location
- To keep track of inventory as it is bought by shoppers, and register
money as it comes into the store
- 1 to 2 minutes per transaction

4:15 – Touch Screen
- Same Location
- To translate finger movements into screen and computer actions
- 1 to 2 seconds

4:17 – CD Player
- Same Location
- To translate digital media into sound form, as requested by the user
- Ongoing

4:22 – Digital Person Counter
- Same Location
- To monitor the number of people entering and leaving a store
- Instantaneous

4:24 – Police Dispatch Device
– Broadway and 14th St.
- To communicate with headquarters and other police officers, and
receive instructions.
- up to 1 minute

4:25 – Bluetooth Ear Device
- Broadway and 14th St.
- To relay sound into electricity and wire it to a digital phone, and
receive signals from a phone and translate them into sound
- Ongoing

4:27 – MetroCard Fare Checker
– Union Square Subway
- To read a fare card, match it to a virtual account, and display how
much money is in it
- 1-2 seconds

4:27 – MetroCard Swiper
- Union Square Subway
Subway Card Swiper
- To read a Subway card, access a virtual account, debit one ride from
the amount in it, and unlock the turnstyle.
- 2-3 seconds

4:27 – MetroCard Buyer
- Union Square Subway
- Allows users to buy a subway card and add money to an associated
virtual account
- About 30 seconds

4:30 – Checkout Crowd Control System Monitor– Whole Foods Market in Union Square
4:30 – Checkout Crowd Control System Flipper Switch – Same Location
4:30 – Checkout Crowd Control System PA System - Same Location
4:30 – Checkout Crowd Control System Flipper Switch Light - Same Location
- To control how long shoppers stand in line by signaling when each
next cashier is available, and keeping the lines even by randomizing
which line the next shopper comes from. It also ensures that no one
cashier becomes overwhelmed.
- 0 to 3 minutes

4:34 – Automatic Doors
- Same Location
Automatic Doors
- To open doors automatically via a motion sensor so shoppers can enter
or leave a building without using their hands.
- 1 second