Unveiled earlier this month and designed by Massachusetts Institute of Technology architects and engineers working with Florence city officials and transport experts, the EyeStop is a revolution in bus stops.

The EyeStop, initially designed for the city of Florence, is partially covered with touch-sensitive e-INK and screens, and features state-of-the art sensing technologies and a variety of interactive services. Riders can plan a bus trip on an interactive map, surf the web, monitor their real-time exposure to pollutants and use their mobile devices as an interface with the bus shelter.

It will tell you exactly where the next bus is and the EyeStop will glow at different levels of intensity to signal the distance of an approaching bus.

“The EyeStop could change the whole experience of urban travel,” said Carlo Ratti, Head of the SENSEable City Lab at MIT. “At the touch of a finger, passengers can get the shortest bus route to their destination or the position of all the buses in the city."

In addition to displaying information, the bus stop sources its power from sunlight and has the ability to collect real-time information about the surrounding environment. The cutting edge shelters will be made of glass, steel and local stone. A more formal prototype will be rolled out in October.

The UK is already seeing better public transport infrastructure such as real time information and Textbus, however the eye stop is an example of what the future of UK public transport could be. Devices that help improve the public interface with the transport system can only be good for passenger numbers and getting cars off the road. The EyeStop may not be a fixture in the short term on UK roads, but some of its principals may permeate down into the existing facilities.