How many times have you left your Oyster Card at home? Soon you’d need not worry as TfL announced this morning that they intend all London Underground users to have microchips implanted into their hands by April 2018. This innovation intends to help eradicate issues with lost, stolen and unregistered Oyster cards.
[We will all be ‘swiping’ the barriers very differently soon. Flickr]TfL spokesperson, Victoria Mussell, stated: “TfL have partnered with TechInU to develop Cockle, the innovative travel microchip that will be embedded into travellers’ hands. We hope for this development to ease up congestion at busy periods by cutting out the time it currently takes to get your Oyster card ready.” TfL also aim to improve the accuracy of the barrier’s sensor speed, so that it will take commuters less than a second to scan through.
[Next Nature]According to the developers at TechiInU, the insertion of the Cockle is completely painless. Much like the microchips used to track pets, the procedure is the equivalent of a quick vaccination into the fleshy part of your palm. Plus, the chip will be linked up to your previous Oyster card account, so all the money or travelcards you’ve already purchased will be transferred right into the palm of your hand.
