Safety Strip by Jenny Feng
Subway conductors are required to perform platform observations and communicate to passengers. To do this, the conductor must slide down the window and look out of the train to make sure there are no passengers or objects in the train’s door frames. But in the midst of a global pandemic, performing platform observations become more difficult. Sometimes passengers are standing too close to the conductor window or are leaning into the window to ask questions. In order to minimize the spread of Covid-19, social distancing should be practiced, but that doesn’t always happen.
With Safety Strip, both passengers and conductors can communicate at a safe distance. Safety Strip is made of up panels that can be controlled to display words or change color to alert passengers. These panels are also triggered by weight, so when a passenger is waiting, the panel they stand on turns green. More socially distanced green panels are generated based off of need. For example, if there is only one passenger, there will be one green panel. But if there are multiple, multiple green panels will appear and passengers will be directed to their green panel to maintain a 6 ft or more distance. The panels closest to the train are red and will flash red if it detects someone standing too close as the train is moving. When boarding or leaving the train, those panels will fade to neutral. When the conductor performs the platform observation, the panels that surround the conductor will flash and turn red to alert people to stand back. This provides the conductor a safe space to perform their task and answer any questions. If anyone gets too close to the red panels, they will flash and create noise to remind them to move away.
