Oystar is a touch pad crowd fundraising interface. A physical kickstarter funded by spare change from oyster cards. With three options Underground users tap and donate their spare change to their chosen creative project. The total raised is displayed above the RFID touchpad on a seven segment led backpack. Printed on acrylic, oystar is colour co-ordinated and gives sound feedback.




Oystar increases the velocity of money and the ease with which people can give to charity and creative projects.

Background
Total number of passengers carried each year: 1,229 million






Journeys made: 1.171 billion






An average of 2.67 million passengers per day






268 stations excluding DLR






Each passenger gives 7p each day £186,000 could be raised each day.






Each passenger gives 14p each day £373,800 could be raised each day.


Audience
Commuters, tourists and anyone who uses the London Underground.

User Scenario
1) Standing on the London Bridge Underground station, I am holding my crisp oyster card. I can hear faint squeaking and creaking of a train approaching. Odds are it may not be on my platform. Having glanced at the advertisements I estimate I have 2 minutes and 47 seconds until my train arrives. Bored out of my mind, I keep flicking my oyster card between my fingers. Another faint sound fills my pert ears, a pleasant beep beep beep accompanied by positive human energy. Following the warm sound I was a little disturbed by the number of smiling commuters within a 20 metre radius of the beep beep beep. I hadn't seen a smile on the Underground since 1992. Pinching myself, I had 2 minutes till my train. Arriving at the beep beep beeps source was a pleasant surprise. Watching someone lightly tap their oyster card against a pad above the beep beep beeps source, I noticed numbers tick above the pad and my eyes were drawn higher still to a plaque above the numbers. Glancing right I saw two identical interfaces each a different colour. Another oyster card tapped against the furthest, again numbers rolled up and the pleasant beep beep beep reverberated from below. Briefly scanning each plaque I had huge connections with the middle one and almost rhythmically my oyster card lightly tapped its green pad. Seeing the total rise, I equally rose with pride and a smile lifted my cheeks. I had done it. Noticing the left plaque equally excited me I tapped my oyster card against its pad and I was once more filled with inner joy having donated. Rotating in harmony with my trains arrival seemed serendipitous.


Implementation
3 RFID reader






3 Seven segment LED backpack






Coloured hard foam - soon to be coloured acrylic.

Conclusion
Order everything in advance!






Order more than you need incase components go missing.