Traditional deckchairs on Bournemouth Seafront – a thing of the past? Photo credit: Ian Britton FreeFoto.com

Aiporu Fu Technologies, based in the high-tech hub of Shenzhen, in South China’s Guangdong are launching the deckchair as part of their new range of solar powered outdoor chairs at Dameisha Beach in Shenzhen today, but the chairs will be seen for the very first time in the West at the Bournemouth Jazz Festival.

The state-of-the-art deckchairs cool and heat depending on the outdoor temperature. The solar power generated by 100 solar deckchairs will produce 200Wh of electricity, enough to power 80 student homes for a month. The deckchairs also have housing for a sound-streaming unit and people sitting in the chairs on the seafront will be able to opt for live streams from the gigs at the festival.

The Digital Media department of the Arts University of Bournemouth is will be evaluating the very first use in the West of these new solar-powered, electricity-generating, sound-streaming deckchairs.

The idea is a feather in the cap of of Jazz Festival Communications Director, Clark Antony, who says: “Bournemouth is noted for its long sunshine hours and our trial at the Bournemouth Jazz Festival which takes place over the weekend of 23rd and 24th April is a very exciting development. Bournemouth is proud to host a new and unique Musical Chair. Once the University presents its findings, we can definitely see this idea catching on worldwide,”

LINK: Bournemouth Jazz Festival feature