Electronics

Truck-mounted billboards morph with the miles

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RoadAds boards change content depending on their geographical location
RoadAds boards change content depending on their geographical location
Each RoadAds unit is equipped with GPS, 4G and Wi-Fi modules

With their tall, flat, prominent surfaces, the rear ends of transport truck trailers make an ideal advertising platform. Given that such trucks travel across continents, however, the ads on them can't be for regional businesses … right? Well, they soon could. Germany's RoadAds has developed e-ink displays that are mounted on the back of trailers, and that automatically change content depending on their location.

Created in partnership with Mercedes and electronic signage company Visionect, each water- and dust-proof RoadAd board is made up of four 32-inch e-ink screens, joined edge-to-edge to create one 3 x 5-foot (0.9 x 1.5-m) display.

Unlike LED or LCD screens, their display can be seen in bright sunlight, and they only use power (supplied by the truck's battery) when changing content. Additionally, because they don't emit light, they won't dazzle drivers following behind at night.

Each unit is equipped with GPS, 4G and Wi-Fi modules. The idea is that when the GPS determines that the truck is in the right location (it's accurate up to 16 ft/4.8 m), it will download and display the appropriate local advertising from RoadAds' server. In the event that the truck is in an area with no coverage, all of the ads are also buffered within the unit, and can be accessed and displayed manually using an app on a mobile device.

Each RoadAds unit is equipped with GPS, 4G and Wi-Fi modules

Along with advertising, however, the boards could also be used to display real-time data such as weather warnings, notifications of upcoming road accidents and traffic jams, or other important information.

RoadAds is now accepting preorders, and expects the first 1,000 displays to be commercially available by next June. That said, five RoadAd-equipped trucks will be hitting the road this November, as part of a trial. In the meantime, you can see them in action in the video below.

Source: Visionect

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5 comments
Racqia Dvorak
Lots of upsides to this innovative approach... but a legitimate complaint would be that it could provide unnecessary distraction for drivers.
Hmmmm...
Look at Norway - They do it for road safety by mounting a camera on the front of the truck and displaying the image on the rear, so you can "see through" the truck.
Driver distraction isn't a consideration - If the advertisers get an extra sale - good for them. If a distracted driver crashes because of distraction, that'll be "the drivers' fault"...
Do we really need/want MORE advertising???
Imagine if every company took all the money they spent on advertising and used it to lower their prices... Or to donate to a worthwhile cause. I's support them MUCH more than someone that annoyed me with the usual garbage advertising.
Bob Flint
If you are reading this advertisement then you are not paying attention to the road. Also very important if signage suddenly appears larger then normal, you are about to crash into me...
Stephen N Russell
Love idea but agree with poster, Raquel, another distraction. Best upside is when parked or on side of road for drivers nap time.
DanHoyer
Fine...until I saw the QR / 2d barcode appear in an ad. Just what we need someone behind a truck trying to interact with the advertisement. Now that is an intentional distraction and the advertiser and truck company should be liable for any accident caused by it.
Billboard, no problem. Billboard trying to get people to interact with it? Big problem!
I like the "see-through" one with the camera on the front of the truck too. You could overlay ads in the corner of that one...