Now, charge your mobile while resting under this ‘smart tree’
Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com
Coimbatore: 17.05.2018
The city will soon get a ‘smart tree’ under which people can not only rest but also enjoy WiFi and charging facilities.
The ‘tree’, to be set up at the entrace to the VOC Park at an estimated ₹12 lakh, will have a trunk filled with heavy metal and covered with fibre, while the leaves, of zinc, will be painted in gold.
A solar panel on top of the tree will generate power and stored in a battery. There will be charging points for mobile phones and laptops. The panel will generate around 1,500 watts of power every day.
The entire facility, sprawling across 600 sq ft, will have five benches. “At least 30 people will be able to sit there and use the WiFi,” said R Maha Prabhu of J C Media entertainment, the company that has been tasked by the city corporation with setting up the tree. The entire area will be lit up at night to provide it an aesthetic look.
Activists and others said such a facility was a long-felt need, given the changing times and also because the existing smart bench was not being used by members of the public. “People do not even use it. There is a basic design flaw in that it does not provide any shade,” said an activist.
R Satishkumar, another partner in the same company, said that the city corporation had first wanted to change the design of the smart bench.
“The idea was a smart tree and we decided to make it even look like a tree,” he said. The company worked a lot with directors and others associated with the film industry, said Satishkumar. “So, we used a lot of help from art directors and have designed this. We have focused a lot on the aesthetics as well,” he said.
The tree will be set up by Monday, said corporation officials. “It is a pilot project and based on the response from the residents and others, we plan to set up at least another 30 such ‘smart trees’ across the city. The design and space will change as per the location and requirement. But the idea will remain the same,” said a corporation engineer.
Corporation officials said that there were several smart benches across the world. “Various designs are available. But a tree design is a first of its kind,” said an official.
GREEN AND SMART: An artist’s impression of the ‘smart tree’ which is to be set up at VOC Park in Coimbatore
Komal.Gautham@timesgroup.com
Coimbatore: 17.05.2018
The city will soon get a ‘smart tree’ under which people can not only rest but also enjoy WiFi and charging facilities.
The ‘tree’, to be set up at the entrace to the VOC Park at an estimated ₹12 lakh, will have a trunk filled with heavy metal and covered with fibre, while the leaves, of zinc, will be painted in gold.
A solar panel on top of the tree will generate power and stored in a battery. There will be charging points for mobile phones and laptops. The panel will generate around 1,500 watts of power every day.
The entire facility, sprawling across 600 sq ft, will have five benches. “At least 30 people will be able to sit there and use the WiFi,” said R Maha Prabhu of J C Media entertainment, the company that has been tasked by the city corporation with setting up the tree. The entire area will be lit up at night to provide it an aesthetic look.
Activists and others said such a facility was a long-felt need, given the changing times and also because the existing smart bench was not being used by members of the public. “People do not even use it. There is a basic design flaw in that it does not provide any shade,” said an activist.
R Satishkumar, another partner in the same company, said that the city corporation had first wanted to change the design of the smart bench.
“The idea was a smart tree and we decided to make it even look like a tree,” he said. The company worked a lot with directors and others associated with the film industry, said Satishkumar. “So, we used a lot of help from art directors and have designed this. We have focused a lot on the aesthetics as well,” he said.
The tree will be set up by Monday, said corporation officials. “It is a pilot project and based on the response from the residents and others, we plan to set up at least another 30 such ‘smart trees’ across the city. The design and space will change as per the location and requirement. But the idea will remain the same,” said a corporation engineer.
Corporation officials said that there were several smart benches across the world. “Various designs are available. But a tree design is a first of its kind,” said an official.
GREEN AND SMART: An artist’s impression of the ‘smart tree’ which is to be set up at VOC Park in Coimbatore
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