Light Track – Elevator Pitch

Below you will find my relatively short elevator pitch for Light Track, a system that enables interactive whiteboard interaction using inexpensive technologies.

This system is designed to give educators and presenters control over their content and supports their endeavours into digital education with a community portal, discussion groups, webinars, content/lesson sharing and an online learning community.

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Interested?  Visit lacour.ca/track for more information.

11 comments


1 Byron Kask { 12.01.09 at 10:37 am }

Hi Michel,

I’m always interested in less expensive ways to enhance classroom learning. I’ll be taking a closer look at this one for sure.


2 Sharon Hann { 12.01.09 at 12:30 pm }

I too like to know about lower cost technologies but I am not really sure what you are proposing. What niche are you trying to fill? I like that it is basic technology and user friendly. I would like just a bit more inofrmation on the problem and solution you propose. I liked the video, your speech was clear and precise. You came across as trustworthy and knowledgeable.
Good job. Sharon


3 Tony D { 12.01.09 at 1:51 pm }

Hi Mike,

sounds very innovative nice work. I am not sure I understand how this will work during a presentation. Is the webcam image superimposed on the screen over the projector output during a presentation? I am not sure what you are actually selling or looking for here, the idea does sound wonderful but are you looking for a munufacturer to make your idea into a product? How will you recieve a return for your work. Perhaps I missed these points in your presentation. It does sound like a great way to save some cash and still be able bring technology into the classroom!


4 Byron Kask { 12.02.09 at 5:48 pm }

Michel,

I watched the presentation, and it’s interesting technology. I actually run something similar in my classroom using a Nintendo Wii controller. While you already did this, I’ll use the Cube as well to give some feedback.

Market Focus:

I think that you’re right about K-12. Specifically, I think that this would be used in schools without much of a tech budget. I think that you’ll need to market this as a professional tool though, or buyers won’t take it seriously.

Types of offerings:

This would fall under infrastructure for the main product, but the community around it would be in the content category. I’d like to see more on how you would build this community into more than a support site for the technology, because it would be nice to have a technology savvy CoP.

Who is the Buyer:

I imagine that individual teachers would be the early adopters, but if it’s successful, then perhaps even whole districts. Another market that I’d go for is the sales and promotions markets. This could be a killer app at a convention booth, or if someone like a financial planner were able to take this into a home for a presentation.

Global Markets:

Like you said, the product needs translating, that’s it.

Development of a Market:

I think that the inexpensive nature of this product makes it attainable for nearly any market that has the rest of the required equipment.

Competing with other forms…:

This blends seamlessly with existing classroom learning tools.

My thought as a potential investor:

The good thing about your product is that it’s tangible and there’s a genuine potential market. The main issue that I see with your product is that it can be reproduced for free. I think that the if you were able to sell some really good software with it, that would be where you would make money. By going open-source, you’ve given away your technology and your supporting software. I like the idea of having “conversion kits” to purchase, but I think that selling a camera with a switchable filter would make it seem more professional. I think that if you want to sell these, you’ll need to make it seem like it’s a high-end tool that is priced competitively, and you can’t let on that the technology it’s based on is simple and reproducible. If I knew that I could cobble one together, I’d make it myself.


5 Michel Lacoursiere { 12.02.09 at 7:03 pm }

Hi Tony,

I was looking at this pitch as a proof of concept for the technology and the initial planning for selling this as a marketable product.

As for the question about the webcam image, the software would be using that image to place the light source on the screen image. So no, the webcam image would never be projected or seen besides by the software.

Thanks for the encouragement for the project, I too think it is a technology that may prove less expensive then current control methods.

~Michel


6 Michel Lacoursiere { 12.02.09 at 7:11 pm }

Hi Byron,

Thanks for the kind review. I am glad to hear that you have been experimenting with some of these technologies yourself, I have always thought that there are easier ways to do what SMART and Promethean have been doing with IWBs.

I have seen some how-tos on using wiimotes as you have been using. Great work!

I actually got the idea for this from the wiimote and the new technology Sony will be release next year. I originally planned on using this video to help explain the concept, check it out:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUlEK9BSCpI

Of course my setup is completely different and not used for such comprehensive tracking but for small gestures and clicks. But the basis of tracking light using a webcam, be it a glowing orb to track game movements as with Sony or an LED to interact with a projected image and educational content, the premise is similar.

Thanks again for the reviews thus far!

~Michel


7 Amy Frank { 12.02.09 at 8:44 pm }

Hi Michel,
Interesting concept. It is not something I would have ever figured out on my own. Byron indicated that this technology could be easily duplicated, but for those of us who had no idea, we wouldn’t even know where to start. I believe there are quite a few of these people. I am still trying to figure out how it works. Your presentation was helpful, as your product is tangible, and it was great to see what you were talking about. You are a very natural speaker. Great work!


8 Cathy Jung { 12.03.09 at 2:40 pm }

Michel,

Your narrative is laid out and covers all your points; however your technique of reading the screen also had a down side (at least for me)…it left me as your audience slightly disengaged at points, as your eyes seemed to be focusing on reading and hence you were not directly looking into the camera. Your voice is also very clear and easy to listen to. Thanks for posting responses to Tony and Bryon as these helped me to understand the pitch more.

Cathy


9 Michel Lacoursiere { 12.03.09 at 7:53 pm }

Thanks Cathy, I entirely agree about the reading off the screen being distracting, it was a definite trade-off. It is a sore point for me as well with the presentation. In hindsight the reading and that lack of other video (simply no room to keep it under 12 minutes) are points I would definitely pay attention to if I were to truly pitch this concept.

For those of you that are interested I just saw this great pitch of a similar technology which uses projection, images and tracking to provide some very interesting augmented reality.

Magic Projection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7woG0pqFjs

Thanks for the compliments and review!

~Michel


10 Jay Dixon { 12.05.09 at 9:28 am }

Micheal,
Wow. I found myself lost watching videos about this type of technology and I think Santa is going to have to buy me a PS3 now! I am going to have to try building a few things at work for interactivity. We have recently purchaseda smart board for one of our teachers and now have at least 7 lcd projectors for our small staff. Your pitch and website had a great hook. I liked the props and the white sheet in the background 😉 There are many market areas for this. You would have competition I think as people copy and modify your idea. You’ve inspired me to look a bit further into this area. Well done.


11 Liz Hood { 12.05.09 at 1:02 pm }

Michel- I am intrigued by your elevator pitch. It reminded me of the ‘sixth sense” presentation of MIT, in your use of “everyday” tools, although totally different concepts. Very creative and well-done.

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