Wearable tech is the future, and the future is now. Possibly jumping on the tech togs bandwagon is the Land Transport Authority (LTA), who’ve launched a trial for commuters to use smart bands for fare transactions instead of fumbling through wallets looking for EZ-Link cards.
In partnership with Singtel, Sony, EZ-Link, NETS and TransitLink, the trial will see 200 commuters using their wrist-worn Sony SG50 SmartBands for transactions in addition to its usual activity tracking features (sleeping, jogging, sexing). They simply have to tap their wrists awkwardly on the fare card reader to commute, and the SmartBand’s value can easily be replenished at all the usual top-up machines.
“The combination of wearable technology that enables faster, easier and more convenient transit transactions, with mobile retail payment services and lifestyle/wellness tracking, is an exciting development for commuters,” says LTA Chief Executive Chew Men Leong. “Insights provided by the trial will help LTA assess the performance of fare transactions using the smart band and gather feedback in assessing the potential use of wearable technology in public transit.”
Aside from using the SmartBands for commuting, they can also be used at various retail and merchant outlets including restaurants, cafés and libraries. It’s exactly like the Hello Kitty EZ-Charms, except these ones are for grownups.
Also, LTA will now always know about your whereabouts using the SmartBand’s tracking feature. Good luck with that.
Photo: LTA Facebook page
