The Pearl

The Pearl is a small implantable Oyster card and TfL guide.
It's implanted in the hand between the thumb and index finger,
this can then be used to tap in and out of the London Underground.

The built in LEDs guide the user on what line to take to get to their destination.

Why?

Crime rates are increasing on the London Underground,
the most common of which is theft.

Also the amount of passengers daily has been increasing over the last few years,
this can put new travellers off, especially as its easy to get lost down there!

That’s why The Pearl is implanted, you'd have to lose your hand to not get home!
It also features built in LEDs to guide you on what line to take to get to your destination.

Drag the hand to the scanner
of the open barrier!

Our Story

Here at WWSTWD Studios, I started the development of The Pearl roughly 5 years ago. It all started with an Arduino, a breadboard and some components in my bedroom at university.

All together I went through roughly 100 Oyster cards, I had to use a real card due to legal reasons. Then next came packaging that into a small pill-shaped injectable component. Once I had that sorted, I decided to play around with the idea of it lighting up to show it was being scanned. I soon realised this was pointless as the barriers do this. I then moved onto the idea of guiding the user with an RGB LED, it can display the colour of the line needed.

Next was powering the LED, the Oyster chip runs off power given to it by the barriers, I needed power for the LEDs. The Pearl actually has tiny microscopic hairs that draw energy from the surrounding flesh and heat.

I have a background in web and app development so I threw together a small web app that could allow me to program the journey and test it live! The initial tests were rough, the lack of internet on the Underground was an issue initially but I soon moved to a location based system. I refined the app and a few years later were here! Hundreds of people are walking around with The Pearl in them, helping them get where they need to go, worry free!

Register your interest!

Unfortunately, due to the current circumstances we are unable to perform the installation of The Pearl currently; following guidance form the government. Enter your details below to hear first when we start again!

Made by: wwstwd.studio
For GCD1 - Unit 2 - Digital

© 2020 Will Westwood All Rights Reserved