Cell phones as train and bus tickets
Deutsche Bahn and Vodafone are working together on the development of an electronic ticketing system called "Touch&Travel' that is expected to be market ready within the next few years.
This ticketing system will make it possible for passengers to board a train or bus without first purchasing a paper ticket from a dispenser or the driver. Instead, they will simply need to push a button on their mobile phone once prior to departure and then again when they reach their destination.
It is scheduled to undergo preliminary field testing this year on the high-speed track between Berlin and Hanover, in a section of the Berlin metropolitan railway (S-Bahn), and throughout the Potsdam city transit network.
After successful completion of the tests, a nationwide rollout will follow.
The e-ticketing system makes use of a new mobile communication technology that will be introduced on the market in the near future. Known as near field communication (NFC), it enables contactless data transmission across ranges of just a few centimetres.
Forthcoming generations of mobile handsets will come equipped with the technology as a standard feature.
With the introduction of Touch&Travel, special terminals referred to as "touchpoints' will be installed on all train platforms and at all bus stops.
At these terminals, a passenger logs on to the system by pressing a button on his cell phone and logs off once he has reached his destination. The distance travelled and the price of the ticket are calculated, and the registered passenger receives a monthly bill.
Researchers achieve 8 W output from optical parametric oscillator
Researchers have demonstrated a total output power of 8 W from a high-power mid-infrared cadmium...
"Dualtronic" chip for integrated electronics and photonics
Cornell researchers have developed a dual-sided chip known as a "dualtronic" chip that...
Researchers illuminate inner workings of new-age soft semiconductors
Using a specialised electron microscope designed for delicate materials, materials scientists are...