The EMT equips its canopies with NFC and QR, base technologies of the Smart Madrid project

Las 5.500 Stops on the Madrid EMT line network have been renovated and equipped with Smart Madrid services, that allow users to be offered information in real time about the bus service and the tourist and cultural offerings of the city.. NFC and QR technology are the axis of this project.

The Municipal Transport Company of Madrid (EMT) has renewed the canopies of all the city's bus stops and has incorporated the Smart Madrid service, a free information system that has been developed by the company Connecthings in collaboration with the municipal company and is based on NFC technology (Near Field Communication) and in QR codes (Quick Response).

This renovation has been carried out during the last year and has meant a paradigm shift in the information model that the municipal company offers to users.. This project simplifies access to information and allows you to instantly obtain useful data about the bus service and the tourist and cultural offer of the city.. An ideal system for both regular and sporadic users, tourists and visitors.

The pilot test of this innovative system was launched in mid- 2013 in 500 stops on the EMT line network. During the 18 months duration of this first phase, The system has reached the figure of 100.000 users. After this preliminary period, The Smart Madrid project has been extended to the entire city and is now available in 5.500 bus stops.

Smart Madrid adapts to people with physical and visual disabilities thanks to more than a year of collaboration between our R&D teams, the CIDAT (Research Center, Development and Application Tifloinnova) of the ONCE (National Organization of the Spanish Blind) and EMT Madrid.

The development of the Smart Madrid project carried out by the EMT of Madrid is supported by the Connecthings platform and aims to turn the city into a more practical and usable space while allowing you to discover the cultural wealth of the capital.. In the same way, facilitates, simplifies and speeds up the use of the EMT bus network and access to the main points of interest in the city.

Connecthings develops contextualized mobile services, through contactless technology that allows you to interact with the environment through labels. These labels make it possible to access information content and specific services by simply touching them or holding a mobile phone close to them.. Tags are placed on objects or buildings (in the case of the EMT on the canopies and stop posts) and can be read using NFC system or two-dimensional barcodes (QR).

contactless technology

The Smart Madrid tags or labels installed on the new EMT bus shelters and stop posts, They have two systems for quick access to information content incorporated using NFC technology and QR codes..

Users who have a mobile device with NFC technology or a QR code reader will be able to bring their device close to the marquee and will automatically and instantly be redirected to a micro-website (that adapts in shape to the screen of the device in question) where two environments or informative menus will be available, both contextualized to the real geographical position in which the user himself is located: Transport and tourism.

'Transport' automatically accesses information on waiting times for buses on the lines that stop at that point and other stops on the network located nearby without needing any other action.. In addition, offers other complementary information such as maps, service incidents, nearby stops, itinerary calculation (route definition, definition of means of transport, expected arrival time and duration of the journey)…

For your part, Tourism is accessed, through pictograms, Detailed information on points of tourist interest located in the vicinity (museums, iglesias, monuments, parks, cultural and leisure venues…). Offers the possibility of consulting other nearby points and the nearest transport stops.