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Staff Reporter
March 13, 2023
Swings and roundabouts for gigabit-connected experiment
Virgin Media O2 has hooked up a children’s playground at the Dallington Primary School in Islington, North London to its gigabit broadband and 5G mobile networks to enable kids to produce music as they use the swings and roundabouts
The idea is to encourage kids to play more outdoors after research showed parents are concerned their children should have more exposure to playgrounds modernised with technology.
The swings, slides and climbing frames have been fitted with sensors, pressure pads and infrared beams which react to movement and enable the child to compose music as they move around the playground,
Virgin Media O2 partnered with child psychologist Dr Sam Wass and TV choirmaster Gareth Malone for insights into children’s playing habits and how technology can benefit cognitive development
Each encounter with the play equipment produces musical sounds played through speakers in the play area. Their music track can be downloaded and saved.