IRVINE, Calif. — Advantech, an ePlatform service provider, has announced that its ARK-4180 embedded platform is being used in a "YouBike" rental kiosks, implemented by Taiwan's Taipei city government. In addition to promoting pleasure cycling, YouBike is intended to help span the "last mile" in public transportation systems by encouraging a better and greener urban lifestyle.
YouBike uses automated electronic management to allow bicycles to be rented and returned to kiosks at any YouBike center. While Taipei is not a remote location, high seasonal heat and humidity do offer real challenges to outdoor equipment installations.
According to a news release, the ARK-4180 is one of the most powerful yet cost-effective PCI-104-based solutions on the market, with high vibration/shock resistance and wide temperature capability. The ARK-4180 with Intel Celeron M 1.0 GHz processor can operate in extreme temperatures.
The ARK-4180 is developed from PCI-104 stackable modules that are designed and qualified for demanding applications. The PCI-104 form factor allows modules to stack vertically together to provide a naturally rugged architecture, and each system is housed in a specially cast and milled solid aluminum block with thermal fins, which help dissipate heat.
As the brain of the YouBike kiosk, the ARK-4180 manages a user interface with video and audio, EasyCard sensor, credit card reader, Internet transmission and bicycle-release mechanism. Eleven YouBike rental centers are now in operation, with a fleet of 500 bicycles. Plans are underway to roll out the program over the next several years to include surrounding cities, with 300 rental centers and 15,000 bicycles.
