{"id":15034,"date":"2018-12-07T11:42:53","date_gmt":"2018-12-07T09:42:53","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/investsofia.com\/en\/?p=15034"},"modified":"2018-12-07T12:27:58","modified_gmt":"2018-12-07T10:27:58","slug":"sofia-based-playground-energy-develops-new-technology-for-smart-urban-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/investsofia.com\/en\/sofia-based-playground-energy-develops-new-technology-for-smart-urban-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"Sofia-based \u2018Playground Energy\u2019 Develops New Technology for Smart Urban Environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

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The innovation allows real-time data transfer from playground facilities and outdoor gyms <\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"The <\/span>Sofia-based <\/span>Playground Energy<\/span><\/a> is working on a new technology that will send data on child activity on playgrounds to a server that visualizes the data directly on the location in <\/span>Google Maps<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

The innovation is another motive for children to play more in the open because it introduces a competitive element. For urban institutions, the new technology is another step towards building a smart urban environment. The up-to-date and completely objective information from the facilities <\/span>will be <\/span>accessible at any time <\/span>and <\/span>will facilitate urban planning and decisions on where more playgrounds or site maintenance are needed.<\/span><\/p>\n

The new technology allows information to be sent through a built-in <\/span>GSM device<\/span> that requires neither batteries nor external power supply, but only the physical activity of children that playground facilities transform from kinetic energy into electrical. The innovation passed the initial tests and is to be developed in a real environment.<\/span><\/p>\n

Playground Energy was founded in 2012 as it patented the implementation of its first innovation for Europe and the United States – a kinetic generator built in playground facilities, park equipment and outdoor fitness facilities that the company produces entirely in Bulgaria. The generator is present as an invisible addition to the design of the seat, step, or other part of the facility and transforms the physical energy into electrical <\/span>energy<\/span>. In turn, it can activate other installations on the playground, including light, sound, fountain<\/span>s<\/span>, etc. For example, while a child is swinging, the swing can light up, trigger a fountain, or turn on a loudspeaker that plays a favorite song through a cell phone via a Bluetooth connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

Six years after its establishment, the team introduced its second innovation \u2013 the use of the energy from the kinetic generator to transfer data. The innovation has been developed by an engineer from Bulgaria and does not require a mobile phone or download of a specific application and no personal data is collected. Data access is possible without registration from any device to a direct web address where data is visualized on the playground\u2019s location in Google maps as a number of \u201cLumi points\u201d (named after the flagship product of the company – the Lumi Plus spring toy).<\/span><\/p>\n