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Visionect partnered with Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Soofa to provide Boston with the latest sustainable, connected service for its citizens. The Soofa bench and sign both use Visionect’s e-ink and paper technology to provide live, local news. Both devices are solar-powered, and the bench provides two charging docks, with enough space for three people to sit. Both screens use 3G to receive information updates, are completely self-powered and quick and easy to install.

City officials now have a near-to-real time method for communicating with the public about a range of topics and events. Earlier in the year, the city installed its first solar powered, e-ink sign outside City Hall. This latest urban smart sign is located outside of Faneuil Hall in Samuel Adams Park. Soofa is a spin-off from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Media Lab. The smart, solar powered device is also available as a stand-alone unit. Information is sent to the units through the Soofa dashboard, which provides analysis, hardware and software updates as needed.

Other spaces getting a sustainable news update include the backs of large trucks in Germany, and smart meeting room signs that sync with office calendars. Where else could e-ink and paper combine with real-time information updates for more efficient and sustainable processes?