Customised Interface Panel for Railway Information Point

Human machine interface (HMI) specialist, Stadium IGT, has supplied Commend UK with a complete custom HMI solution for its next generation of railway platform emergency call and communication information points.

The project to design and manufacture a custom HMI solution using a variety of capacitive switching and backlighting technologies, delivered to the customer a complete assembled and tested solution.

The design brief for the new information point was to make it simple and appealing to use and to have the look and feel of the latest smartphones and tablets. More functionality has been designed-in to assist passengers with more than simply requesting assistance, reporting incidents or emergencies.

For the new design Stadium IGT provided a complete front panel made from 6mm vandal resistant anti-reflective toughened glass with under-surface printing. A 15 inch capacitive touchscreen is laminated to the glass to fit over a display used to display information or advertising. 2 capacitive switches, used to call for information or signal an emergency, and a large 'information' sign are integrated into the front panel and backlit using Stadium IGT's patented Thin Film Backlighting technology. This proprietary technology provides clear and uniform illumination.

Provision is made in the front panel design for an optional IP camera to provide a two-way video between railway staff and customers and the interactive touchscreen and display can be used to display the train operator's website, passenger information including live departures, delays and journey planning to provide passengers with 'self-find' information to aid their journey, says the company

"Stadium IGT's involvement right from the beginning of the project helped us to quickly realise the product that we had visualised." Said Peter Hull, mechanical design engineer, Commend UK." The high levels of technical knowledge and support from Stadium IGT meant there was no need for costly prototypes and this classic product has now been brought up to date".

Terry Moss, Sales Director, Stadium IGT, added: "This is a classic example of our ability to design and manufacture a custom HMI solution using a variety of our capacitive switching and backlighting technologies and deliver them to our customer as a complete assembled and tested package. This level of integration simplifies our customers design, procurement and final assembly processes and demonstrates the benefits of the Stadium Group's commitment to integrated manufacturing".