MobilityTechzone

Latest News

TMCNet: New electronic park being built in Layton: Play ? Planners hope it will pull video game generation outdoors.

[July 14, 2009]

New electronic park being built in Layton: Play ? Planners hope it will pull video game generation outdoors.

Jul 14, 2009 (The Salt Lake Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- Parents have argued with their children for years to shut down the computer and play outside.

"We're losing a lot of kids to the basement," said Diana Ross, co-owner of Playspace Designs. "How do we get them back to the park?" A new electronic playground in Layton could be the answer, as one of the first in the nation to turn the appeal of computer games into kinetic outdoor fun.

City officials are building an electronic public playground as part of a $500,000 new park adjacent to Legacy Junior High. The August opening should coincide with the new school year, said Layton City parks planner Ja Egget.

Egget worked with Playspace Designs, a Salt Lake City company, to focus on junior high students.

As the sedentary lifestyle of video games helps push childhood obesity rates higher, and playgrounds lose appeal to young teens, Playspace co-owner Bob Ross thinks this is the best equipment to reverse that trend.

"We can almost sucker them into thinking this is like a video game," Ross said, "but this is very, very active play." Three new pieces of electronic equipment, each supporting multiple games, are designed to keep children moving more than video games, slides or jungle gyms usually allow, Egget said.

Among the games going digital: capture the flag and tug of war. To play capture the flag, as many as seven teams gather around a network of pipes and lights that looks like a 21st century swing set.

Kids use a rocking platform to choose the game and settings on a computer screen. Then players scurry around the structure to turn as many light-buttons as possible to their team color.

"There's a lot of jumping, twisting, and running around," Ross said.

A server tracks high scores, adding competitiveness, and allows new updated games from manufacturer Kompan Inc. Playspace is working with Kompan to connect children in Layton with the only other U.S. structures -- -- to compare high scores.

Egget said Layton City Planners rearranged a $500,000 budget, moving some formerly hired work in-house, to accommodate the more expensive equipment and rubber surface required instead of traditional wood chips.

Planning and design began roughly one year ago, Egget said. The still-unnamed park is three months into construction.

Crews hope to install the digital structures by the end of July. By the end of August, Egget said the park -- also featuring two picnic shelters, two tennis courts, four full-size basketball courts and sand volleyball -- should be complete.

"The whole goal to lure kids back to the playground," Ross said, "and back into a little better shape." To see more of The Salt Lake Tribune, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.sltrib.com. Copyright (c) 2009, The Salt Lake Tribune Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

[ Back To MobilityTechzone Homepage's Homepage ]
FOLLOW MobilityTechzone

Subscribe to MobilityTechzone eNews

MobilityTechzone eNews delivers the latest news impacting technology in the Wireless industry each week. Sign up to receive FREE breaking news today!
FREE eNewsletter
Interview with VPI Systems
TMC's Rich Tehrani speaks with Russ Green, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Product Management for VPI Systems
Interview with Thrupoint
TMC's Paula Bernier speaks with David Jodoin, Chief Strategy Officer for Thrupoint
Interview with Nuance
TMC's Erik Linask speaks with Christy Clark Murfitt, Sr Manager of Solutions Mktg, Enterprise Division for Nuance
Interview with Abukai
TMC's Erik Linask speaks with Philipp Schloter, President & CEO of Abukai
Interview with DragonWave
TMC’s Stefanie Mosca speaks with Greg Friesen, VP, Product Management of DragonWave