Audi Italia partnered with Point Architects to highlight the ways in which street furniture could be more interactive and serve as a valuable resource within a city's landscape. The end result, is a public bench that collects and displays data regarding the health of a small Italian town.
The bench uses a series of integrated sensors to collect data regarding climate change, noise pollution and solar activity. The bench then displays its findings publicly and in real-time, helping to raise awareness about one's local ecosystem. Using solar panels, these benches generate its own power, and use colorful tubes to indicate the amount of energy that's being collected. Individuals can use this power to charge their phones through USB ports.
Image Credit: Sirio Vanelli
What's Driving This Trend
- Interactive Street Furniture
- Opportunity for creating interactive street furniture that serves as a valuable resource within a city's landscape.
- Data Collection and Display
- Opportunity to collect and display data regarding environmental factors in real-time for public awareness.
- Renewable Energy Generation
- Opportunity to integrate solar panels into street furniture to generate power for various purposes.
Who This Affects Most
- Urban Planning and Design
- Disruptive innovation opportunity for urban planning and design professionals to create interactive and data-collecting street furniture.
- Environmental Monitoring and Awareness
- Opportunity for companies in the environmental monitoring and awareness industry to create products that collect and display data about local ecosystems.
- Renewable Energy Technology
- Opportunity for renewable energy technology companies to integrate solar panels into street furniture for power generation and charging capabilities.
