Eddie

The application recognises images, on which we can display 3D content to our phone screen, related to the given subject.

We are convinced, and the kids’ standpoint is that the learning process can be more interesting, more experiencing, and more interactive with the help of the modern technologies. For the newer generations the presence and the usage of smartphone is obvious, but it’s potential is not fully used by the educational institutions, and their most important people: the teachers. For example 720.000 students study at the moment in Hungary, and 86% of them have some kind of smart device. Still only 10% of the schools take advantage of it.

Eddie not only introduces the reality, makes it even more interesting for all of us. Mainly the application recognizes the pictures in the books, and it builts and visualises interactive 3D modells. Our product, Eddie has two majos parts. One part is a picture, which can be shown on a digital screen or can be printed, and the other part is a smartphone application. These two elements complement perfectly each other. The picture is the visualization surface, which can be recognizes by the smartphone. With the help of a web platform the user creates different lists, where he/she connects the surfaces (pictures) with the 3D object - this connection will be displayed. 

By opening (downloading) the created list on the platform in the application, the user will be able to reach the connected 3D content, based on the scanned code this will be shown in AR (augmented reality). The shown content will be a 3D object, animation, video, or any kind of digital content. 

The advantage of the application, that it was developed and can be optimazed for many subjects, such as mathematics (3D shapes, graphs, calculations), geography (geographical territories, relief maps), history (contemporary battle representations, old buildings), etc. 

Our main target gropus are the teachers and the parents. Our goal is to make learning more interesting for the future generation with the help of technology. With the created augmented reality, the content will be easier to interpret, the entertaining functions and the 3D visualization gives a clear understanding.

The target audience is private, and governmental primary school students, so the international governmental and private schools are the primary target market. Also, the different experience centers, educational centers.

Based on data from 2015 there are 29 million primary school students who go to school worldwide. Most of them are from UK, France, Germany, Spain, and in Poland. The first contents which would be created will be visualised objects/illustrations, which don’t require translation, so it would be quicker to apply in different countries. 

We believe Eddie can be involved into the education in the future.

If we think about educational institutions and phone usage, we might think that their combination only causes problems. 86% of young people have some kind of smart devices which have become part of their everyday life. We don’t think we should fight against phone usage in school, rather coming up with a new method that helps the teachers’ work. Eddie is a smartphone app that is capable of projecting models on certain images in AR or VR. With the platform belonging to the app, the user (let’s say the teacher) can on-demand select the model to be projected on the image from two lists.

AR and VR are essential for visualisation. We tried to build these technologies into our app in such a way that more spectacular and intelligible content could be displayed. For the web platform we used node.js and express because we were determined to make it more user-friendly – making the platform easily understandable and manageable. Microsoft Azure cloud, in the background, works not only as a storage (images, models) but as a database too. Images and models updated by our customers are being checked by MC AI in order to make our content child-friendly.

The demo version is available in the stores only, but the prototype is finished as well. The next step would be development the app and the platform based on our customers feedback. We plan on adding extra content and opportunities to the project in a way that 100% manageability remains. At the beginning of the next school year we will make an experiment when one control group acquires a part of the curriculum with Eddie, while the other without the help of the app. After the experiment we will be able to put into number that Eddie does not only entertain but helps the process of learning.

After
three years we wish to see Eddie’s final version as an essential part and tool
of education. Time has come for education to accept the fact that today’s
generation had grown up with smart gadgets in their hands, and that this is not
a problem but an opportunity. We do not wish to reform education at its basics
but help it keep up with the technological developments. With Eddie in hands,
the teachers will have a tool with which they can transform the curriculum into
something more expressive, comprehensive and interesting. Looking at innobie we
see our ourselves as a successful start-up.

From a marketing strategic view, we use more instruments to gain and retain customers. We have a strong social media presence. We constantly come up with prizes games about the project that keeps people interested in the page and so our news reaches them. We made some personal contacts and try to make advantage of media appearances. The ad materials are spectacular, our main profile is visualisation and we have no problem with it. Eddie is a lovable app, whose every use is a treat. Unlike other platforms, ours specifically focuses on education and filters unwanted content, so the parents can let the children use it.

The demo version has been downloaded 500 times to Android and 150 times to IOS. In Google Play and Istore the demo version is available with the additional demo book. In demo version, a little taste of subsequent app can be found since there the platform and the content-making availability is not present. In the following 3-4 months, we want to make the prototype accessible. For this marketing materials are needed, like tutorials (how to use the app) and other promotional prints. We hope our prototype reaches more and more people in a short time.

We would like to focus on the markets in the USA, UK, Canada, Germany, Hungary and in the Scandinavian countries, then later on other European countries. In the USA there are close to 90.000/35.000, in Canada 12.100/1.940, in Germany 5.800/2.200, in Finland 3.700/30 and in Hungary 1.200/870 primary/private schools. There are 150 scientific experience centers in the USA, in Asia 158, in United Kingdom 63, in Middle-East 36, which are targeting the students, and these numbers are growing.

Because the project requires a lot of knowledge from a different area we managed our team to cover these knowledges. We have developers in our team, 3D modellers for the visual content, graphic designer and so on. We're currently looking for a team mate for the business and marketing side.

We are selling the smartphone application, and the web application (together the platform), which is targeting the private and governmental schools, education centers. Furthermore experience centers focused on technologies and science, such as Digital Adventures (USA), California Science Center (USA), Orlando Science Center (USA), Alba Innovár  Digitális Élményközpont (HU), Agóra Tudományos Élményközpont (HU), Futura and Andrássy Élményközpont (HU). At the moment there are ongoing consultation with Csodák  Palotája (HU), about permanent exhibition.

Eddie would be available in subscription-based payment system. The product would be free for the end users, for parents and teachers. There will be promotions also.

The first phase of the educational content creation will start with our own (made by us) pictures, animations, video, etc., and later everyone will be able to upload their own content, in commission-based system.

We know many great ideas, project is participating on this competition and we would like to challenge ourselves in these kinds of environment. If we would get a chance to win an award, then it would give a huge push to launch our startup. We would like to meet with other competitors, build connections and get inspired by others. Ask other startups, enterprises about their opinions, and got many feedbacks related to Eddie.

The biggest barrier is that the phones are implemented to our every-days, but it’s hard to get them to the education. The acknowledgement and fame form Solve would take us one step closer to integrate modern technologies to the education. And if we would get the special award, it would help us financially to develop the application. Now we invest our money, so the smallest amount of financial support is a big help for us. And from the many competition we might be able to collaborate with some of them.