In connection with the Innovation Day in Karlstad on 13 June, the citizens of Karlstad had the opportunity to test two of the innovations developed so far through the ongoing collaboration between
Compare Foundation, Värmland Police Authority, Karlstad Municipality, Karlstad Energy and Karlstad University within the framework of the Smart and Safe project.
On 26 September, between 16.00 and 19.00, further tests will be carried out and the public is welcome to participate.
The main target group is children and young people, but everyone is welcome.
Relax and unwind
Near the kiosk on Stora Torget, there is an interactive park bench that, with the command “Hey Bench!” to talk to visitors.
The bench is an interactive meeting place where you can relax and connect at the same time, as it is equipped with both wifi and a USB port for charging.
– When we wanted to create a place for young people, two things seemed particularly important: the opportunity to communicate and charge your mobile phone. The location on Stora torget is well chosen. In a typical week, more than 7,500 unique devices are connected via the bench’s Wi-Fi,” says Henrik Holm, business developer at Karlstads Energi.
Alarm bands switch on street lights
On the Orrholm side of Mariebergsviken, more specifically on the pedestrian and cycle path at the north-east corner, it is possible to test the (L)bracelet – a personal alarm in the form of a scrunchie hair cord developed by the local JA company SafeStyle.
At the push of a button, SMS with GPS location is sent to predefined recipients. During the test, we also connect the alarm to the street lights in the area so that they switch on when activated, while a loudspeaker plays a deterrent sound.
– By working closely with the target group, we have been able to develop a solution that meets their needs and creates safer public spaces. We now want to look at how the technology could be
implemented and scaled up to be used by both the municipality and the police to increase
safety for everyone,” says Carolin Maule, Innovation Manager at Compare.
