The shape is a familiar classic – a central post pointing toward different destinations, sometimes near and other times a world away. This evolved version, however, replaces static locations and fixed directions with interactive ones.

Designed by Breakfast of Brooklyn, Points lets you input a query and receive both a written response and an orientation to go with it, giving distance and location along with other information.

The device is programmed with API data from real-time sources including regional public transit and, more broadly,Twitter, FourSquare and RSS feeds.

The resulting database gives passers by up-to-the-minute info as requested, displayed on 16,000 LED lights. It can also potentially display default local information automatically – about current news, events, performances or venues – when not otherwise (manually) engaged.

The intention here is to go beyond a simple touch screen, creating something recognizable at a distance, familiar to pedestrians and interactive both digitally and physically.

Aside from the creative challenges, fitting the required mechanisms for a smoothly-rotating effect into such a small space proved difficult but the designers are close to a finished product.