South Korean Subway Grocery “Stores”

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJVoYsBym88&w=420&h=315]

Tesco Grocery Stores put up large photographs of aisles of their grocery stories in south korean subway stations. Each item has a scannable QR code on it. People who are waiting for their train can “explore the shelves” and scan all of the items that they want to put them into their “cart”. Then they just press order and wait for them to be delivered to their house!

I think this is a very clever campaign for a culture where smart phones and QR codes are readily accepted and used, and the busy people view grocery shopping as a big hassle. I like how it allows people to utilize the time they were previously wasting waiting for trains.

However, I wonder if the “stores” could be used by people with out smart phones.I also wonder what happens after you buy from the “store” once… can you sign up for weekly staples? What is this system like? Is it as fun as the original hook?

 
Sandscape- Interactive Map Tool

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpyJcN3Tyzg&w=420&h=315]

Sandscaoe is a tangible interactive system that can educate about maps, topography, and weather. It is essentially a box filled with little beads that users can move around. They can dig valleys, or pile up mountains. The system then reads the depth of beads are any point and projects down colors and patterns to convey the information.

I like this system because it brings maps to life. People love touching the beads, exploring the possibilities and seeing their effect on the colors.
 

Adaptive Healing Room by Philips

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1edIODuCxes&w=560&h=315]

This video shows a demo of an adaptive healing room developed for hospitals. The smart rooms have different programmed systems of lighting, sounds, and screens that aim to make patients feel comfortable, connected to the outside world, and be exposed to the correct amount of stimulation at any given time.

I wonder how much control the patient will have in this environment. Will they be upset when the window curtains close because they are supposed to be “resting?”