Looking to provide residents and tourists with a way to keep their phones charged, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announced Tuesday the installation of two prototypes of solar-powered seats capable of charging smart phones Tuesday at the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy in the North End.
Kristopher Carter, advisor to the mayor, said the furniture piece project, funded by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and called “seat-e,” is part of a larger policy movement by the city to integrate technology into streets and sidewalks.
“We saw this as a great way to partner with MIT and Greenway to put out infrastructure that has technology in it and provides a benefit for the public,” he said.
The City of Boston’s New Urban Mechanics chose the Greenway Conservancy for the prototypes because it is situated on the Freedom Trail, which has a high amount of pedestrians.
“Our hope is that we learn about where the best location is for these types of thing is and how the public is using them and interacting with them,” Carter said. “Down the road, there will be other components added in to it that prompt users with questions as well as some more interactive features.”
The bench has solar panels on it, and it comes equipped with charging cords for various smartphones. Pedestrians may sit and use the bench for charging without cost.
Sandra Richter, one of the three designers of the prototype, said within the first three days of the seat-e installation, 32 people used the models to charge their phones for a total charging time of eight hours.
She said with iPhones that die twice a day, the “urban dweller” needs an infrastructure on the street to plug in and charge a phone.
“People are actually using it,” she said. “The seat is gathering how many people plug in their phone for how long and we’re collecting that data.”
In June, Richter said the team presented the first model of the seat made in a different material at the World Innovation Forum in New York.
Since then, she said the team spent three months building the two wooden prototypes and beginning to think about improving and expanding upon the current model.
“Our vision is not just two funny objects on the Greenway,” Richter said. “We’ll create an entire network of these smart benches, and then we’re looking to have a smart-phone app to see air pollution sensors and how many people are using it. You can start conversations about clean energy and you can have this interactive piece of furniture … but that’s along the lines of a couple of years down the road.”
Ann Greaney-Williams, a coordinator of the environmental studies program at Tufts University, said the solar-powered charging stations could be a way to educate the public about sustainable energy. “It could open up peoples’ ideas about solar and how it could be used,” she said. “You’re using solar to charge your devices, so that’s taking away usage from the general grid. It’s a good way to introduce people to solar energy, how it can be used and lessen electrical use throughout the city.”
Some residents said the seat-e would benefit more people if it was popularized throughout the entire city.
Juliett Cruickshank, 34, of Mattapan, said she saw a seat-e and was intrigued, so she approached it to get a better look at what it was.
“If your phone is out [of battery] and you know these are around, you’ll look for them to charge your phone,” she said. “They [the seats] are just sitting there and you’re not sure what they are unless you come up close to read it, like I did.”
Jennifer Moyer, 41, of Charlestown, said the urban furniture would have more use in warm weather than cold weather.
“During the summertime, you’re going to use them a lot more because that’s when people are picnicking and kids are playing in the water here, so you can sit and watch your kids while you’re charging up or sit during your break and have lunch,” she said.
Jason Bertsch, 44, of Charlestown, said he does not think the seat-e will be popular at first, but could see it becoming an important public resource in Boston.
“I’ve only walked by it twice and I’ve never seen anyone sitting on it,” he said. “Knowing what it is now, if I need to, then I would use it … [but] things like this in and around Boston take a little time to catch on.”
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