Detroit Arena Plans "Smart Seats" that Interact with Mobile Devices

Venue owner Palace Sports & Entertainment plans to begin a three-year project in 2016 to replace all of the seats at Detroit's Palace of Auburn Hills arena with seating that will be able to communicate with fans’ mobile devices, reports Crain's Detroit Business. The 20,000 seat home of the NBA's Detroit Pistons will be equipped with near-field communications (NFC) technology that allows those using the seat to do things such as order concessions. A contract for the new seats will be awarded within the next month. The project is estimated to cost at least $6 million, with the first seats to be replaced being in the lower bowl. The second and third phases will occur over 2017 and 2018.