Child trackers, phone charging benches in Dubai's Al Mamzar Park

The smart benches located around the park allow visitors to charge their phone without cables.

Smart band to track children's movements, a bench that charges smart phones without cables and an oasis to convert humidity into fresh water are some services visitors to Al Mamzar Beach Park will now enjoy.
The Dubai Municipality inaugurated the smart transformation of Al Mamzar Beach Park on Tuesday, providing new innovative services that enhance visitor experience and provide educational journeys for children.
During the opening, officials confirmed that public parks across Dubai will be smart over the next years.
The park will provide a smart band to enable parents to track movements of their children and people of determination through their smartphones.
Dawood Al Hajeri, director-general of the Dubai Municipality, said the initiative responds to many cases of children, especially determined ones, who get lost in the park on a daily basis.
"It's a bracelet that children wear to connect them to their parents. It sends parents a warning through their smartphones if children moved 200 metres away from them," said Al Hajeri. The band will enable families to communicate with their children when needed.
Smart benches located around the park allow visitors to charge their phone without cables by just placing their gadgets on sensors, equipped with the highest technology. The bench, which also has a USB connection space, provides WiFi and cools off heated mobile phones.
Down by the beach, smart oases have been dispatched to convert humid air into fresh drinkable water to allow swimmers and beachgoers to refresh during summer.
Mohammed Abdelrahman Al Awadhi, director of the public parks and horticulture department at the municipality, said the solar-powered oases provide up to 90 litres of drinking water a day.
"In summer, these oases will help cool the area and provide mist for the surrounding land that helps with plantation," said Al Awadhi, noting that more oases will be added.
Residents can also enjoy safe swimming as drones have been dispatched to help lifeguards to save drowning people by providing lifebuoys and rescue equipment. The Smart Rescue service allows voice communication that guides people drowning on what to do.
A separate "Virtual Reality" Room is provided to educate children on planting vegetables and fruits to promote green and agricultural culture among future generations.
Al Mamzar Park smart application guides visitors through the park and allows them to book chalets and water chairs for people of Determination, while registering in sports activities.
Officials confirmed that entry prices of the park remain Dh5, and Dh30 for car/bike access. Visitors can use Nol smart cards to access the park through smart gates without stopping in queues. Elderly over 60, children under three and people of determination with two companions get free access.
Al Mamzar Park has witnessed over 1.3 million visitors from the beginning of the year until October, while the number of chalet reservations reached 2,643.
All Dubai parks to go smart
Dawood Al Hajeri, director-general of the Dubai Municipality, said all public parks and facilities in the city will be smart over the coming years as Dubai is moving towards becoming one of the world's smartest cities.
Al Mamzar Beach Park, he said, was the first smart transformation experience that will expand to other parks in Dubai. An integrated time-frame will be determined over the next two weeks, he said.
The municipality also invited the private sector to invest in parks with creative projects that will make public facilities more attractive to visitors.
Dubai Garden Glow has been an innovative outcome of public-private partnership, with municipality officials looking to expand such experiences across all public parks.
Innovations at Al Mamzar Park
>Smart Band that tracks children's movements
>Smart Benches that charge mobile phones without cables and provides WiFi
>Smart Rescue service that dispatches drones to save swimmers from drowning
>Smart paint in theatre area that reduces air pollution and absorbs sulfur dioxide
>Smart Oasis that turns humid air into drinkable water
>Smart Containers with sensors that detect a maximum amount of waste reached before waste collectors pick it up
>Virtual Reality World that educates children with simulations on planting fruits and vegetables
>A 100 per cent disabled-friendly park to ease mobility and meet requirements of people of determination
>Smart Al Mamzar Park app to book chalets and services at the park
>15 renovated chalets with new bathing and barbecuing spots
sherouk@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai