From connected cities to connected buildings, malls to museums, private or shared vehicles to public transports, all these platforms share the same need: to welcome people, exchange, assist, provide the relevant information and connect them with the right service. More and more digital services are becoming available in these collective places, through smartphones and other digital devices. Accessing information has never been easier. However, public places are struggling to push relevant information to their users, due to the multiplication of applications to install, and the lack of proper interaction provided by the current digital signage generation... Voice only interfaces, such as connected speakers, despite their multiple advantages (efficient at realizing complex tasks, hands-off interaction makes it inherently health-safe to use, …), are not adapted to public spaces either. Without an embodiment, these interfaces are neither proactive and self-explanatory, nor intuitive enough for people to use comfortably.
With the prominence of voice interactions - in a recent market research report by Microsoft, 72% of survey respondents reported using voice commands, and 66% of those are using it at least once a week - the information world is changing, driven by the Millenials. Public spaces need to adapt to this new paradigm without enlarging the digital divide. SPooN makes it possible for the locality to push information to its users instead of relying on unverified news channels. By bringing these services to the front, SPooN is an enabler for the AI ecosystem in public places. Driving the adoption of connected services will generate more users and drive the economy in this local ecosystem. Furthermore, the GAFAs are not occupying these public places. It is a unique opportunity to deploy technology with strong European values, based on our Ethics by Design approach.
SPooN has developed “SPooNy”, the next generation of interactive digital signage by transforming existing digital signage equipment installed in public spaces (city centers, airports, stations, …) into interactive and marvelous creatures able to interact intuitively with people. The overall objectives of this SME Phase 1 are to validate our technological approach and the product-market fit. During this project, our main focus is on numerous deployments that will drive our understanding of the market while validating our approach. It will also be complemented by market research.
