The city is testing high-tech park benches that allow visitors to recharge their batteries while getting a boost for their cell phones and tablets, the Daily News has learned.
Five Soofa benches with free charging stations will be installed at Highbridge Parks in the Bronx and upper Manhattan.
The benches — developed out of the MIT Media Lab — can also keep track of how many people visit the parks by counting their Wi-Fi-enabled devices.
“These Soofa benches will provide a look forward into the future of parks,” said Parks Commissioner Mitchell Silver.
The two-year pilot program will be announced by Silver during Tuesday’s Parks Without Borders conference at the New School.
“We know just how valuable the use of technology is and how important it is in our day-to-day experience — and these benches tap into that power by allowing us to measure park usership and engagement while protecting parkgoers’ privacy and providing a vital service,” he added.
The Parks Department will spend about $24,000 on the solar-powered benches, which have been used in several other cities, including Boston and Los Angeles.
Officials promised no personal information from mobile devices will be received or retained.
The first bench is set to be installed on Tuesday at Highbridge Park in the Bronx.
The remaining four will be up and running within the next 30 days, according to the agency.
“We are super-excited about New York City,” said Sandra Richter, co-founder and CEO of Soofa.
“People are staying outside longer and using parks as their backyards. The Soofa benches are a perfect fit.”
In 2014, Soofa benches were showcased at the White House Maker Faire in Washington.
“We want to connect people to their city with smart technologies,” Nan Zhao, co-founder of Soofa and doctoral candidate at the MIT Media Lab, said at the time.
