Innovation rarely begins with forgetfulness. Or does it? We can’t remember, but the new quick-access system for Boston public transit has its roots in temporary lapses in memory. Two MIT undergrads who often used the Boston transit system would continually forget their Charlie Cards – the cute name Bostonians have for their quick-pass metro cards. Rather than resorting to turnstile hopping, the two turned to the bastion of new technology: 3D printing.

To make it easier, they created the Sesame Ring – an RFID-enabled knuckle accessory that works just like the Charlie Card. Users load money onto the ring and the amount is debited from their account every time they use the ring to access the transit system. It has already been approved by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority. Buyers can even request custom designs or messages to be built onto the ring’s surface.

The Sesame Ring is even waterproof, so if you get caught in a downpour after stepping off of the bus you don’t have to worry about your high-tech bling shorting out. The team took their idea to Kickstarter and easily sailed past their fundraising goal several times over. The duo plan to create other rings in the future that can be used as substitutions for any other kind of smart card. Opening doors or security gates, paying for purchases, and who knows what else may soon be as easy as tapping your ring against a reader.

The post One Ring to Rule Them All: Cool Transit Card Alternative first appeared on Gajitz.

Riding on a public transportation system is a mixed bag: you get to where you’re going in an eco-friendly way, but you also have to deal with sticky floors, weird people, and filthy handrails. And then there’s the fact that the handrails are way too high for some people to reach. Designer Justin Choy had enough of the handrail situation, so he invented the Rail Reach.

This simple, foldable plastic device fits into your purse or backpack. When you hop onto a train or bus and there are no seats, you just hook the Rail Reach over the handrail and comfortably hang onto it during your ride. The handle part is covered in a soft material to keep your hand comfortable; the part that hooks over the rail is lined in the same material to keep it from slipping around.

Besides being a handy way to extend your reach, the Rail Reach can keep you healthy by putting a layer between you and all of the germs hanging around on those handrails. Any regular public transportation rider will appreciate that the Rail Reach will probably cut down on the number of colds they get every year.

One version of the device features a small mirror so users can either look behind them surreptitiously or check out their appearance before getting to their stop. Choy took his project to Kickstarter to raise the funds needed for a first production run of the helpful little gadget.

The post Folding Handle Gives You a Clean Grasp on Public Transport first appeared on Gajitz.

Frankly, we’re a little sick of all of the Segway clones out there. We couldn’t care less about the next big thing in personal transport. But the MoVete is unusual enough that it drew our attention rather than ire. It’s a shared community-based mobility device that works kind of like the bike shares in some cities: you pick one up at one station and leave it at the next.

Each station is fitted with solar-powered charging points which keep the MoVete’s batteries all charged up and ready to take on the city. The conceptual design was created by Natalia Portugal and Sara Aletta de Sylvas to help commuters in busy downtown Buenos Aires get around quickly and easily, even where motorized vehicles are banned for the safety of pedestrians.

The MoVete features rear wheel steering for quick, controlled turns and an intuitive steering system that allows it to be driven by just about anyone with minimal training and minimal effort.

The accelerator and brake are both located on the handle, making the device easy to steer with just one hand. Although it looks like a cross between a house jack and a kids’ scooter, the MoVete could one day turn out to be the personal mobility system that out-geeks even the iconic Segway.

The post Move It, Park It, Charge It: Personal/Public Scooter Device first appeared on Gajitz.