What if benches in public parks were more than just a place to sit? That’s the thinking behind a new project in Boston, where solar-powered benches called “Soofas” will let you take a load off – and also give you a place to plug in and re-charge your smartphone. Designed by a Verizon Innovation Program at MIT, the Soofas are more than a traditional recharging station. The benches also connect to Verizon’s network to upload data about the space around them, including air quality and noise level, as well as how many people sit on each bench every day. And you can even check out the data the benches collect through Soofa’s website. The first of these benches are being installed throughout July in various Boston parks, including Titus Sparrow Park and the Boston Common. If you live in the Boston area, the city wants your help in planning out future Soofas. Boston’s city officials are asking residents to recommend additional parks to install the benches – as well as names for each bench.
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.