February 7, 2022 - In partnership with IKE Smart City, the City of Houston unveiled the first in a series of digital interactive, wayfinding kiosks called IKE (Interactive Kiosk Experience) at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Monday, February 7, 2022, adjacent to the George R. Brown Convention Center on the corner of Walker Street and Avenida De Las Americas. With Mayor Sylvester Turner, Councilmembers, and many other City stakeholders in attendance, the event marks the launch of a City-wide initiative to build smart city infrastructure that enhances the pedestrian experience for residents and visitors, while adding vibrancy to Houston’s urban landscape.
The City of Houston released an RFP (Request For Proposal) for Interactive Digital Kiosks in March of 2020 and selected IKE Smart City as the vendor in March of 2021, which was later approved by City Council in May. Post approval, IKE Smart City worked collaboratively with the City of Houston, Houston First, neighborhood groups, and adjacent property owners on location selection, kiosk branding, and on-screen content. Installation will occur in phases of 25 kiosks throughout several neighborhoods including Downtown, Uptown, Midtown, Montrose, Museum District, Texas Medical Center, Greater Third Ward, EaDo, Upper Kirby, and more. Further, at least 10% of all IKE kiosks will be located in underserved neighborhoods, as defined by the City, including Gulfton, Sunnyside and others.
IKE puts innovative technology in commercial, pedestrian-oriented areas to offer advanced wayfinding capabilities through smart city technology. Each kiosk serves as a free Wi-Fi hotspot up to 75’ and is geo-located, displaying informational listings based on what’s in the immediate proximity to the kiosk. The kiosks have dual-sided digital touchscreens and are fully ADA-compliant, complete with an engaging suite of interactive applications that drive discovery of area businesses and other local points of interest, promote diverse mobility solutions, and improve equity with 24/7 access to resources. IKE is multilingual and includes detailed content listings of local area restaurants, shops, businesses, cultural institutions, events, jobs, and civic resources. Additionally, the kiosks provide access to social services information such as homeless shelters, addiction recovery programs, and food support.
“The City of Houston has so much to offer, and the IKE digital kiosks will be an exciting new amenity to help guide people in various directions to enjoy events, restaurants, and much more,” said Mayor Turner. “These kiosks are one of the many ways Houston is moving forward with creating more walkable spaces that make for a safer and more pleasant experience.”
IKE’s advanced wayfinding features are designed to turn information into action. Using real-time, aggregated public transit data, IKE provides users access to easy-to-use multimodal trip-planning features to navigate from point A to point B via public transit, bike share, scooters, ride-hailing, and walking. Such capabilities reinforce the City’s commitment to sustainable, equitable, and accessible transportation services and resources.
IKE also serves as a widespread communication platform. IKE allots space for community messaging that is relevant to the City and local communities while also disseminating critical public safety information in a highly visible way. Through a real-time feed from the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS), the kiosks immediately display emergency messaging such as severe weather warnings, AMBER Alerts, active shooter events, fire warnings, and other information provided by over 1,000 authorities certified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
IKE Smart City shares the City’s commitment to placemaking and beautification to transform the pedestrian experience. IKE kiosk designs balance a clean and appealing aesthetic with an inviting and engaging user experience. The kiosks will provide a cohesive wayfinding system throughout the City while reflecting the City’s diversity with unique branding and on-screen content for each neighborhood.
“We are excited to partner with the City of Houston, one of the largest and most diverse cities in the country. IKE will further activate the pedestrian experience providing widespread connectivity and equal access to information to all communities,” said Pete Scantland, CEO of IKE Smart City. “We look forward to serving Houston’s residents and visitors through IKE.”
IKE has also partnered with Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (CAMH) to promote their exhibitions and feature art from their permanent collection and exhibition program. Other exciting partnerships are in development, including a collaboration with the University of Houston’s student-run publication, Gulf Coast: A Journal of Literature and Fine Arts.
The kiosk project was led by the Mayor’s Office of Economic Development with support from the Office of Innovation.
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