SBIR Phase II: Interactive Multi-Touch Collaborative Table for Classrooms

Ftl Labs Corporation, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II award proposes to develop a multi-touch table with object tracking and smart surface devices to create a highly versatile augmented-reality lab bench. The resulting instrument allows collaborative experimentation using physical lab equipment such as ballistic pucks, microscopes, beakers, and hot plates, combined with real-time measurement, analysis, and graphical content. Working with Tufts University and area educators, a new model of lab equipment has been demonstrated. The effective use of affordable technologies provides the access, supports, and scaffolds that students need to make sense of science and become excited by STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) creative opportunities. STEM-Table will be used in conjunction with traditional instruction, but leverage a wide range of new multimedia enhanced interactions, thereby transforming the STEM classroom into a more hands-on and responsive environment and elucidating the connections needed for fuller scientific understanding. The broader/commercial impact is that (1) creating the classroom-ready, large-format, multi-touch STEM-Table brings unique, tangible interactive experiences to STEM Teaching Labs; (2) multi-touch STEM lab equipment enables a wide range of learning that combines data collection and hands-on lab skills with virtual media; and (3) the multi-touch environment will provide classrooms with a new paradigm for collaborative STEM activities with cost, capabilities, and workload reduction advantages. In the proposed work a fully-commercialized STEM Table "Multi-Science Augmented Reality Lab Bench" product will be deployed with associated tangible lab equipment surface devices. This technology will be classroom-tested and a user community will be supported with expanded applications. Based on the user and market reaction to the core technology evaluated to-date, this product will provide both a strong market position among current educational lab equipment and significant STEM education benefits.