RiverRink, an Olympic-size ice skating attraction in Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia has become the site for the first Powersoft DEVA installation in the US.

DEVA is a new multimedia system that is helping places like Philadelphia embrace ‘smart city’ applications.

For the thousands of skaters that use the rink each day, DEVA provides up to 115 dB of "pristine" audio, while consuming a diminutive physical footprint and remaining completely energy independent. Two of the units are programmed to take photos of skaters at regular intervals, and after the venue closes, the system – controlled over a wireless LAN – is able to provide intelligent surveillance and active monitoring of the premises.

Live Sound Co., which handled design and integration of the DEVA system, was given a preview of the DEVA system over a year ago by Powersoft R&D director Claudio Lastrucci. "Our first installation of DEVA is the culmination of our efforts with Powersoft, and their incredible engineering vision," commented Jeremiah Leiter, president of Live Sound Co.

"We installed each unit in about seven minutes. When we turned them on, they were working exactly as we hoped they would. We don’t just want to sell products to our clients, we want to help them solve problems. This is exactly what the Powersoft’s DEVA enables us to do."

Four DEVA units are mounted on two steel poles on opposite sides of the skating rink. A fifth DEVA unit is also pole-mounted and pointed towards the entrance. Each unit includes an active loudspeaker, an interactive messaging system, high powered LED lighting, an FM tuner, built-in GPS, presence sensors and Wi-Fi.

Nik Mondo, chief operating officer at Live Sound Co. added: "As far as I know, there is no other product on the market that combines such a compelling feature set. The icing on the cake is that they can be solar powered and have a built-in battery, so they don’t require external power sources. This means that you don’t have to worry about the typical power restrictions that might be faced in other scenarios with other competing products on the marketplace.”

"I would like to see DEVA installed along the Delaware River, all the way to South Philadelphia," he says. "Such a system could provide messaging and an added measure of assurance and security for pedestrians, especially in areas where there is not a lot of lighting or public infrastructure."

The company is eager to approach more markets with Powersoft’s latest solution, such as amusement parks, zoos, campus environments and other city municipalities.

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