'Canopy' gives subway trains an outside view

No, I totally don't notice that man cursing at a fellow passenger. I'm too busy watching flowers and bunnies above ground.

(Credit: Matt Batchelor, Amrita Kulkarni and Emma Laurin)

Ever had the experience of being in a subway and feeling completely disconnected from the world outside? A group of British design students has dreamed up Canopy, a concept display system that would attach to the ceiling of an underground train to give passengers a picture of life above.

Canopy uses dynamic flexible "e-paper" display panels affixed to the interior of the train. As a train moves along its line, commuters get a view of passing landmarks, a sight that could definitely brighten a stodgy ride. (Then again, it could be a bit dispiriting to watch the world stroll happily down a breezy tree-lined street while you're stuck sweating in a crowded stalled train.)

The content, stored on an embedded PC in the train, is updated via Wi-Fi either at the station or in the tunnel, depending on where service is available.

In addition to showing a view of the outside world, the creators of Canopy -- Royal College of Art students Matthew Batchelor, Amrita Kulkarni, and Emma Laurin -- imagine the system could show ambient animations of weather... [Read more]