Better informed thanks to LED technology
Bus passengers in Slovenia, Norway and Morocco check travel times on modern LED displays
Bus passengers in Ljubljana (Slovenia), Trondheim (Norway) and Rabat (Morocco) have recently been able to see when their bus is leaving on new information displays: SWARCO FUTURIT, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of traffic signal systems, has installed modern displays on numerous bus stops using OSRAM Opto Semiconductors’ LED technology.
For almost a year, 25 new displays have been in operation at bus stops in Slovenia’s capital Ljubljana. The response from the city and passengers is positive, so that there will be around 90 more displays by 2012. In Morocco 60 displays have been installed and twelve in Trondheim, Norway. Whether in the Arctic or Mediterranean, the displays make great demands of the lighting technology employed – they are basically set up as modules, so the number of lines, pixel size or color temperature can be flexibly adapted to customer needs.
In Slovenia’s Ljubljana, for example, the displays are equipped with GPRS technology, which is deployed if the Ethernet drops out. The installed radio network standard also provides contact with the bus fleet, in order to keep passengers informed about arrivals and delays in real time. The displays in Trondheim have been equipped with an audio announcement system; in Morocco the information is displayed in both Arabic and Roman script. What all the cities have in common is that SWARCO FUTURIT’s displays feature an automatic dimming function, various text effects (blinking, static, crawling), a temperature sensor and an automatic error correction system.
Innovative lighting technology with TOPLED: compact size, flexible applications
All the information display units have been equipped with TOPLED by OSRAM Opto Semiconductors, which are easy to work with as they can be surface-mounted. The first SMT LEDs with integrated reflectors are distinguished by their compact size and with their enclosure design they set the standard for this type of LED. TOPLEDs are available in various power levels, lighting strengths and color temperatures, so they comply with each city’s different information display requirements. Moreover, the designers were convinced by the superior luminosity, which means the information is clearly legible even when visibility is poor. The LEDs’ black surface provides the ideal contrast so passengers can read the displays easily. As for the displays themselves, which are in use almost constantly every day, the low power consumption and long life of TOPLEDs in different climates are also a major advantage.
The Ljubljana project is the result of many years of fruitful collaboration between SWARCO FUTURIT and OSRAM Opto Semiconductors. “TOPLED product features, especially their flexibility, persuaded us to work with OSRAM Opto Semiconductors once again. We have successfully implemented several projects together in the past, and the rapid availability of products will be a major advantage in the ongoing conversion of bus stops in Ljubljana”, says Michael Schuch, SWARCO FUTURIT’s managing director.