Rail operator JR East commissioned composer Hiroaki Ide to replace the grating buzzer that used to signal a train’s departure with short, pleasant jingles known as hassha melodies. These have produced a 25 percent reduction in passenger injuries due to rushing.
via https://www.futilitycloset.com/2019/05/31/crowd-control-2/
Interesting use of light/sound/music to effect the human psychological process.
ReplyDeleteOn a slightly similar note, we purchased a LG washer and dryer years ago and I was pleasantly surprised and have come to really appreciate the musical chime they both use to signal the cycle is complete. It comes across as polite "hey, I finished my work over here, come over whenever you can, no rush". Our previous Whirlpool models had the classic hard/harsh buzzer mechanism that seemed to be the standard since they were invented. That buzzer comes across as "Hey You! Get over here right now. Now I said!".
Amazing that a simple change in sound can have such a significant impact in perception.