Augmented Reality Terrifies Londoners at Bus Stop

No amount of PCV training could prepare a London bus driver for panicked passengers who claim they saw aliens attacking the capital city while waiting for the bus to arrive. And certainly no bus driver could deal with a reptilian tentacle that appeared from under the pavement to snatch up an unsuspecting pedestrian. Fortunately, the recently terrified passengers at a London bus stop were not really seeing what they thought they were seeing.

The illusions generated at the bus stop were the result of something known as augmented reality. The technology overlays realistic, 3-D images on a transparent panel that allows those on the inside to see what’s happening outside. It provides such a realistic view that it is easy to be fooled. According to the Metro, plenty of people waiting at the Oxford Street bus stop were more than surprised.

The whole stunt was a marketing effort for Pepsi Max. The idea was to create a memorable moment using realistic images of space aliens, tigers, laser-shooting robots, asteroids, and strange creatures that appeared from under the pavement. What’s more, Pepsi Max even had cameras installed to record reactions from unsuspecting bus riders. As you can imagine, the video is all over YouTube. Pepsi Max got just what they wanted by way of media attention and marketing. As for the bus riders, they were given a few brief seconds of terror followed by a bit of laughter when they realised they had been fooled.

PCV Driver Training

We imagine working on the augmented reality project with Pepsi Max must have been a lot of fun. However, pranks aside, the HGV Training Centre takes PCV training for bus drivers very seriously. We are one of the UK’s leading providers of commercial driver training because we are committed to making sure every one of our students is a safe, responsible, and legal driver.

PCV driver training begins with a routine medical exam every student must pass in order to apply for a provisional entitlement. That provisional entitlement allows those who already possess a full car licence to begin practical skills training. While students are waiting for their provisional entitlements to arrive, they prepare for the PCV theory test; a 100-question, multiple-choice test that measures the student’s proficiency in general highway safety and hazard avoidance.

Provided the student pass the theory test, he or she then moves on to practical skills training at one of our 45+ facilities around the UK. In just a few weeks, he or she will be ready to take his or her practical skills test at a registered facility. Although we do not provide that testing, we do send one of our trainers with each student on the day of the test. We have found this sets student minds at ease while also allowing them to ask any last-minute questions.

If you are interested in PCV training, we encourage you to contact HGV Training Centre at your convenience. We offer training for city buses, long-distance coaches, minibuses and many other commercial vehicles.

Sources:

1. The Metro – http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/21/aliens-and-tigers-terrify-londoners-at-pepsis-augmented-reality-bus-stop-4672024/