German City Tests Digital Bench That Requires Registration Before Sitting

A fictional smart-city pilot has installed a bench that measures demand through mandatory user accounts. Residents must verify their email, accept a privacy policy and select a reason for resting.

Li Wei chose 'tired.' The system requested supporting details. Heinrich selected 'strategic pause,' which unlocked a longer session and an invitation to a public innovation forum.

A passerby sat on the wall beside the bench without registering. The dashboard interpreted this as low demand and recommended reducing seating capacity. City staff are reviewing the discrepancy. They have commissioned an additional sensor to detect people avoiding the technology, because asking those people directly was not included in the original pilot specification.