Post by Julia
Do you remember the piano stairs in Sweden that got people to choose the stairs over the escalator? And not just some people, but 66% more people. That’s because while taking the escalator is easier than climbing the stairs, playing a piano with your feet is infinitely more fun than standing on a stair that moves slowly, predictably, and always at a different pace than the hand rail.
So fun can change behavior. At least that is the whole idea behind The Fun Theory.
Maybe crossing the street should be more fun.
What’s fun about getting stuck at a red light when you’re trying to cross the street? Nothing.
Could it disuade you from walking somewhere? Maybe.
What if that time could be spent more enjoyably…?
Two students at HAWK Hildesheim in Germany have developed a concept that takes those useful but tedious countdown pedestrian traffic lights to a new level. At most crosswalks (at least at the ones I’ve encountered) there is a counter that lets people know how much time they have before a red light, and then once the traffic light turns red, you’re stuck waiting around twiddling your thumbs, and maybe frantically pushing the crosswalk button in hopes that the light changes sooner.
Sandro Engel and Holger Michel’s new pong game / countdown concept does two things. First it visually shows how much time is left for the green light and it also shows how much longer the red light will last. But really more importantly, or at least more interestingly, they’ve turned the waiting period into game time.
And not just any game, but a classic game of (skateboard) pong that is played on a touch screen against someone waiting on the other side of the street. This idea is just a concept at the moment but the video really demonstrates how it works.
The Traffic Light Countdown Pong Game strikes me as total fun theory. As a life-time jay-walker traffic pong would get me to cross at the crosswalk (at least sometimes.) It may also encourage people to go for a walk instead of a quick drive to the store. And for those pedestrians who sprint across the street just as the light is changing, maybe this could persuade them to just wait on the curb for an extra 30 seconds.
As the youtube caption says, “these should be everywhere.”
Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.
Want more? Purchase Cable Car Confidential: The Essential Guide to Cable Cars, Urban Gondolas & Cable Propelled Transit and start learning about the world's fastest growing transportation technologies.
