British Telecom Multi-phone
For Anyone On The Move
IDE Inc. recently collaborated with Tatung Telecom, a Taiwan based payphone manufacturer, on the design and development of British Telecom's new generation public Internet terminal, the BT Multi-phone. IDE provided the industrial design, including ergonomic design, mechanical packaging, and physical user interface design, while Tatung Telecom provided the electronics design, manufacturing engineering, and production manufacturing.
The BT Multi-phone is a new genre multi-media public payphone that offers SMS text messaging, e-mail, Internet access, and telephony capabilities to the general public. The Multi-phone, which accepts cash or credit card payment, is available in shopping centers, rail stations, the London Underground, and airports across the UK, making the Internet accessible for tourists, business commuters, leisure travelers, or anyone else on the move.
The Multi-phone is an ergonomically designed public terminal that can be used by all including those in a wheel chair. It has a large, bright, high-resolution color liquid crystal display with touch screen and stereo speakers. Just below the display is a special ruggedized keyboard with an integral trackball. Hot buttons displayed on the touch screen take users directly to entertainment, travel, recruitment, shopping, and sports information sites. The Multi-phone's graphical user interface also links the user to their e-mail service provider of choice.
Aggresive Development Schedule
Following a survey of typical installation sites in London, IDE's design team began ergonomic and technical research establishing important criteria critical to the industrial design. Several design team brainstorming sessions resulted in "real time" conceptual presentations with development team members from Taiwan (Tatung), the United Kingdom (BT), and California (IDE). This was accomplished using digital presentations published on IDE's private web site, which allowed each of the development teams to simultaneously review and discuss the concepts by teleconference facilitating decision making and allowing the development cycle to maintain an aggressive schedule.
After several iterations of refinement, the industrial design was modeled and developed in 3D using advanced surfacing and solids modeling CAD tools. These virtual computer models of the BT Multi-phone were once again digitally published on IDE's web site allowing all team members to take part in final design reviews. Once the final form of the product was approved, IDE's mechanical engineering team created a Pro Engineer solids model database for each of the major mechanical sub-assemblies, which were then electronically transferred to Tatung's Taipei manufacturing team. In parallel, IDE's industrial design team used the virtual computer models to complete a color and product branding study for the BT marketing group.
Accessability And Ease Of Use
The form and placement of each of the Multi-phone's interactive features were created with attention to their use and location in heavily trafficked public areas. Highest priority was given to accessibility by the widest range of users, including those who are physically disabled. The upper surface of the Multi-phone is sloped to prevent accumulation of trash or other debris, and the angles on many other surfaces reduce the ability to pry with a tool, helping prevent vandalism or theft of the unit. Color was specifically used to delineate 'active' areas of the product.
Efficient design, excellent communications, and fastidious program management allowed this international development team to achieve the goal of having 300 Multi-phones designed, engineered, manufactured, and installed throughout the UK in less than 6 months.
The BT Multi-phone is IDE's second collaboration with Tatung Telecom. Tatung Telecom had previously retained IDE to design the Tatung Dragon Phone, an innovative new pay phone developed specifically for the Asian market.
