These benches work as hotspots and chargers at the same time. Soon they will send weather alerts

Just before the launch of iPhone 7, a question appeared – how long will it be able to run without recharging. Let’s be honest, 1% battery or lack of Internet access press everyone’s buttons. SEEDiA, a Polish startup, has created a product that allows phone charging and provides wireless Internet.

The product itself is not obvious – it’s a bench working as hotspot, powered by solar panels and equipped with USB ports (own cable is required for charging), beacons and a battery.

For parks and for office spaces

SEEDiA is an original project by Piotr Hołubowicz, a 26-year-old engineer and a well-known startup activist Artur Racicki, founder of Social WiFi and CEO of Pozytywnie.pl, a digital agency.

Currently there are 2 bench models and a charging station available.

– The benches are eco-friendly – they utilize solar energy thus do not emit CO2. That’s one of the reasons cities and energy industry are highly interested in them, says Artur Racicki.

The first model is mostly for outdoor locations, equipped with a bike stand, while the second one is slender, meant for office spaces and shopping malls. Benches are ca. 1,5m long and 1,2m high, including special space for customer branding.

These solar products are made from both steel and wood. What is especially important, they are not prone to vandalism (solar panels are covered with safety glass), thieves (weighing over 100kg) and weather conditions.

– We are developing weather forecasting modules, measuring temperature, humidity and air pressure. Storm alerts are going to be displayed to provide additional comfort, says Piotr Hołubowicz.

New models are even going to be equipped with seat heaters for the winter. There will also be special OLED screens on their sides to display remotely changeable content such as ads.

These devices are produced in Bielsko-Biała.

– With average energy consumption, benches will be able to continuously work throughout the whole year, as in the winter less people tend to use them. Just in case, there’s an option to connect an additional battery. Our second model, Invention, is designed for indoor spaces. Sunlight is not that strong there, so they are permanently plugged in – the reason behind installing solar panels on them is to decrease power consumption, Hołubowicz adds.

SEEDiA is selling its products (not only benches, but also charging stations) to cities and retail venues.