Education Exhibits

STEMCA School of Robotics and Innovation Center – www.stemca.com

This organization offers a variety of after school, weekend, and summer workshops for kids 6-12, using hands-on learning with Arduino, robotics kits, and MIT’s App Inventor 2 software that turns text-based programming into a visual, drag-and-drop experience.

These programs allow kids to both learn the logic required to program a robot as well as the science behind the actual devices that make up the robot such as motors, pulleys, and sensors.

Mimetics Digital Education – www.mimetics.ca

The Mimetics curriculum revolves around the “Jade”, a fully-assembled track-driven robot equipped with a variety of sensors and Bluetooth connectivity. This robot is uniquely equipped with an LCD screen and buttons on its top, allowing users to directly program the robot without the need for a computer. Once programmed, users can immediately run their programs on the Jade and see the robot process their algorithm such as object avoidance or light-seeking.

Mimetics offers a variety of workshops and classroom materials to facilitate STEM education.

Classy Cyborgs – www.classycyborgs.org

This robotics team participated in the F.I.R.S.T. Robotics LEGO League, an international robotics competition for grades 4 through 8. In their 2014 season, they created a device that uses Braille to teach blind children basic math, subsequently winning them the Global Innovation Award by XPRIZE. They are now partnered with the business accelerator VentureLAB, York University’s Lassonde School of Engineering, and Deloitte to continue developing their prototype.

Logics Academy – www.logicsacademy.com

Running workshops at TAVES where kids built a variety of robots, Logics Academy runs programs for various school boards across the region, specializing in robotics and aerospace. Co-founded by a mechatronics engineer, Logics Academy has a full range of evening and weekend workshops, March break and summer camps, lunchtime and after school programs, as well as professional development initiatives for educators to bring STEM curriculum to their students.

Software Exhibits

Arvuu – www.arvuu.com

This marketing firm utilizes augmented reality (AR) to enhance their clients’ marketing experiences, creating augmented reality features that can be accessed via their app on a smart phone or tablet. When users view this AR-tagged content, everything from 3D images superimposed on the client’s existing material, to videos, or other content can be displayed. These elements bring additional interactivity and more engaging content to otherwise static content. The Oct/Nov 2015 issue of CANADA HiFi featured an augmented realized cover – to view this augmented reality experience, print out the cover, download the free AREnginePRO app and scan the cover! You can view/print the cover HERE.

Game Pill – www.gamepill.com

This Canadian game design studio creates a variety of interactive games that run across different platforms – from kiosks at conventions through the Oculus VR headset to tablets and mobile devices. Their clients include big names such as Disney, Nickelodeon, and Pearson Education.

At the show, they were showcasing their interactive augmented reality app which was developed in conjunction with National Geographic. This app works with a variety of physical board games and allows users to access additional content when the mobile device hovers over specific items on the various board games. Additionally, a more challenging mode allows users to take quizzes and perform other challenges based upon the various board games, bringing a level of interactivity that increases engagement and knowledge retention.

Pong Studios – www.pongstudios.com

Creating online and mobile games that go beyond the typical video poker or other gambling-style games, Pong Studios creates interactive games that are purely skill-based, removing any element of chance from their games. These games are deployed across a wide variety of retail and hospitality venues such as bars and restaurants.

Pong Studio provides the complete end-to-end infrastructure from the kiosk or game terminal to the backend processing to the client for free and works on a revenue-sharing system with the client.

This year’s variety of exhibitors speaks to the diversity of the technology now available to consumers and the exciting products that are set to come to market shortly. The advent of virtual reality is ever closer, with hardware and software finally reducing the lag and reaction times below human perception, allowing for a seamless experience that’s free of artifacts and nausea-inducing blurring. While robot surgeons aren’t due to replace their human counterparts just yet, tomorrow’s surgeons may don headsets that virtually augment their vision with medical readings and operating details about the patient in front of them.

In the real world, the impacts of climate change and traffic congestion are leading consumers to alter their habits and considerations towards their daily commutes. While electric vehicles make up less than 5% of vehicles sold, the price is steadily dropping and alternative methods of transportation are starting to pick up.

Lastly, 3D printing is making an enormous impact with printers dropping below $500. These device are bringing out a new renaissance in invention, allowing more and more people to bring their ideas to life. New varieties of 3D materials are enabling a plethora of applications from individually customized medical implants to biological and edible materials such as 3D printed cakes and burgers. Pasta maker Barilla has already showcased 3D-printed pasta that is available in shapes that conventional molds are unable to produce.

If this year’s exhibitors are any indication, the innovation and technology showcase will continue to grow at TAVES! For more info about the TAVES Consumer Electronics Show, please visit www.taveshow.com.

About the Author: Jeremy Phan

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