New, highly talented control panel for the SBB toilets

Long wish list, all fulfilled: Further development of the well-known control panel for the toilets in the SBB IC trains. Now even with haptic feedback after pressing a key.

Initial situation & challenge

After 30 years, the SBB has renewed the toilet facilities in their IC carriages. This also applied to the control panel for light, toilet flushing, water, soap dispenser and hand dryer.

Tens of thousands of passengers travel in these cars every day. What this means for heavily used surfaces such as those of control elements is obvious. And we are not even talking about the very real dangers of misuse, such as by vandals.

In addition, the control elements must function consistently well, safely and understandably for a wide variety of groups of people. Sighted people must be able to decipher the icons immediately, people with visual impairments must be able to feel the operating purposes – and the service staff do not want to have any extra effort with cleaning and replacement.

The previous control panels had already been manufactured by Algra. The new solution had to replace the old one. SBB approached Algra with a comprehensive catalog of requirements:

Simple, clear, understandable and hygienic operation
Vandal-proof
Sensible marking of the keypads for the visually impaired
Splash-proof and easy to clean
Durable
Optical and haptic feedback after pressing a key
Technical parts can be replaced separately

Approach and solution

Algra’s new panel solution takes all these requirements into account:

1. Subsection: AGNOSTIC TOUCH

With Agnostic Touch, Algra has developed an HMI solution that is not only cost-efficient, but also flexibly adaptable. In the present project, it made it possible to implement the control panel as a homogeneous aluminium surface that is waterproof, vandal-proof and easy to clean.

The keys are triggered by minimal pressure (default setting: 3N, can be adjusted) within the button marking. The material only needs to be moved a few thousandths of a millimetre to trigger the force sensor, which is mounted on the rear circuit board (strain gauge technology).

2. Subsection: Aluminium front

The operating front is made of 0.3 mm thin visible aluminium. In addition, there is a 5 mm slim support plate, which is tapered at the keys. The typical SBB blue, just like the respective pictograms, is scratch-resistantly anchored in the uppermost oxide layer.

3. Subsection: Key identification for the visually impaired

The buttons themselves are easily identifiable thanks to the raised embossing on the border. Even the visually impaired can immediately identify the keys by means of the pressed-in Braille underneath the respective key.

4. Subsection: Optical and haptic feedback

Milk-coloured light guides are pressed in above the keys. When the key is pressed, the light guide is illuminated by an LED. At the same time, an unbalance motor ensures that the key area begins to vibrate noticeably. This also gives visually impaired people feedback that the key has been triggered.

5. Subsection: No visible screws

During production, Algra decided to screw the operating module onto the precisely fitting console panel from behind. This means that not a single screw is visible – which should greatly reduce acts of vandalism right from the start – and that the entire operating module or even individual keys can be replaced individually.

Result

For the new generation of control panels in SBB‘s IC trains, Algra has combined flexible Agnostic-technology with a continuous aluminium front, which now also provides haptic feedback in addition to visual feedback. The input keyboard is so durable, strongly protected and hygienic that operation is possible for another 30 years without any problems.