Week 4 - Input and Output

How cool would it be to be able to speak to your computer, tell it where you are and where you would like to go, and have it immediately map out a path for you with directions?  That's essentially the idea of input and output and it has a lot of practical applications to something like Transport Orange.  Voice recognition is merely one aspect that could be added to the website to make it more efficient. You could map out your entire route by telling the computer which roads you would like to take or asking it to give directions with the fastest time or shortest distance or even a route that avoids major highways or tollbooths.  That would obviously be most helpful for those students who are volunteering to drive.  For students in search of a ride, they could use audio input to search for a certain driver or those following along a similar path they are. It would make searching the website that much faster and easier.

Now imagine that you have your entire route set and ready to go on the computer. Imagine yourself putting your GPS or phone in front of the computer screen and taking a picture of or scanning a barcode or quick response code. Voila! Your directions are now safely downloaded onto your device for use while your driving. There could also be codes for coupons for restaurants on your route, gas stations and rest areas you could stop at, or even traffic information (such as if there is construction on a certain road).  It would be undeniably helpful to have that sort of information available at the touch of a button.  Output such as that would also help save time and effort and make the whole process of finding a ride that much easier.

There may even be a way to include things like the Google Wallet on there! Say you'd rather not worry about carrying cash around on your trip but you need to pay your driver gas money.  You could theoretically scan your Google Wallet account on the site and pay the driver online by putting the money right into his or her account.  Or if you needed to add money or pay for something like the E-ZPass used at tollbooths, you could simply do it in the comfort of your own home at your computer without having to worry about entering all of your credit card information (which would be safer for your privacy as well).  All you would have to do is enter your PIN number and you're all set.  There are multiple more ways in which input and output could come into play, but these are merely a few examples of how it would make Transport Orange an even better, more reliable site for students to use.