State of the art analysis

Usage of interactive displays has increased in par with technological advancement. Various types of interactive displays can today be found in subways, shopping malls and museums. MTA, New York's public transportation service, installed such interactive touch displays, called "On The Go!", at more than 30 subway stations in 2014. These displays provide a couple of notable features. Real-time train departures, maps depicting the route of subways, buses and railroads, suggestions providing users with the quickest route towards their destination. The displays can also locate the nearest ticket machine, based on an address given by the user. They also provide a phone number to emergency services. When a display isn't used, it enters a slideshow of information relevant to commuters, such as current disturbances. All of the real-time features would be rendered useless if the internet connection of a display suddenly were to die. From a tourist point of view, the displays serve a good purpose. However, there is no option to change the language of the "On The Go!", a factor that might hinder some users.

As with a lot of modern technology, users expect to be able to quickly and efficiently maneuver the dis plays to find what they're looking for. Many reviews of the "On The Go!" found that these expectations were not met.The touchscreen was not precise enough, and the amount of time it took to present a route suggestion was too long. This might have contributed to the fact that only a small amount of commuters chose the displays over the traditional paper maps. Considering the cost of one display, $15,000, further improvement of software and hardware is needed.

The usage of a display similar to the "On The Go!" could be relevant for our groups project. Issues regarding tickets and routes to tourist attractions could be solved with the use of an interactive display. The biggest downside would probably be that the user has to be on the spot to use the interactive display. Meaning it can't provide information about how to get to the ferry.