Emily MullinsFreshman students Jared Goering and Spencer Steinert have been thinking of ways to improve the education system since they were 14 years old. Since enrolling at 萝莉社, that鈥檚 exactly what they鈥檝e been working to do.
They have a vision for a product that will focus on educating kids for technology and skills of the future, instead of focusing on using technology that may not be relevant when elementary students reach the workforce.
鈥淜ids are probably only going to be sitting in front of a computer for 10-15 more years, because everything鈥檚 moving to wearable technology,鈥� says Goering. 鈥淲hy would we educate our kids with something that鈥檚 not going to be relevant much longer instead of educating them and preparing them for 20 years in the future?鈥�
The two began developing their idea into Dino, a wearable device that Steinert describes as a combination of Legos and an Apple watch. Kids would build their own Dino, teaching them basic electrical engineering skills. The device would then connect with a phone or computer-based program to teach coding skills using augmented reality and computer games.
鈥淐oding is going to be huge in the future,鈥� says Steinert. 鈥淣ow, it doesn鈥檛 just pay to be a designer. You have to be a problem solver and have knowledge in coding and that sort of thing. That鈥檚 not stuff that鈥檚 always taught in school.鈥�
Goering and Steinert, both from McPherson, Kansas, say they didn鈥檛 have computer education in school when they were growing up. They spent a lot of time teaching themselves outside of the class setting, even going as far as creating Vytal, another wearable tech that鈥檚 meant to give feedback on physical activity for athletes.
Their idea for Dino, however, goes far beyond teaching children how to use a computer.
鈥淏y 2020, the demand for people with biomedical and electrical engineering backgrounds is expected to increase 60 and 40 percent,鈥� says Steinert.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the aging of the population and a growing focus on health issues will drive demand for better medical devices and equipment designed by biomedical engineers.
That鈥檚 why Dino is also focusing on biometrics, helping kids make healthy choices by providing feedback on what affects their bodies in nutrition and exercise.
鈥淚n theory, it will be able to tell how active your muscles are,鈥� says Goering. 鈥淲e could incorporate that into the games to make them more interactive. It would really introduce the idea of biometric monitoring at a young age.鈥�
They would incorporate these ideas using electromyography (EMG), which uses electrical pulses to assess the health of muscles and nerve cells and detect neuromuscular abnormalities. It would similarly use electrocardiograms (EKG) to test heart activity and electroencephalograms (EEG) to test electrical activity in the brain.
Planning for the future
The two were inspired to submit their idea to the Ozy Genius Awards, a national competition with a $10,000 prize.
鈥淪tudents in the Master of Innovation Design or those receiving advising through the IIC (Institute for Interdisciplinary Creativity) are encouraged to participate in innovation-based competitions on a national and international level so we can get a true measure of the quality of the ideas being generated in our region,鈥� says Jeremy Patterson, 萝莉社 director of the IIC and advisor to Goering and Steinert.
The Ozy competition will announce winners in March, with 25 percent of the judging based on project likes and shares on social media and 75 percent based on project content.
鈥淪tudents who are entrepreneurial need to learn the skills of crowdfunding, and there鈥檚 no better way than to develop an idea and launch a campaign,鈥� says Patterson. 鈥淪uccessful and failed campaigns help students engage with their projects, enhance their network and use audience feedback to adjust their ideas.鈥�
Whether they win the competition or not, the two are still planning for the future. Their goal is to have a basic version of the product out within the next year, which they hope will give them momentum to develop it further.
They鈥檙e designing Dino to be modular, with interchangeable parts and expansion packs so it can constantly be kept up to date.
鈥淲e want to come out with products that grow with students,鈥� says Steinert. 鈥淲e鈥檙e targeting 6 to 8-year-olds, but obviously when you鈥檙e 12 or 13 you don鈥檛 want to be wearing that same watch. We want to create more customized curriculum and products to grow with them so they continue to get that knowledge if it鈥檚 lacking in their school system.鈥�
Their mindsets extend beyond just entrepreneurship, as they have philanthropic plans for the product as well. They hope to develop Dino into a buy one, give one program so it鈥檚 available to more than just those who can afford it.
鈥淭o borrow a quote from Jaime Casap, the head of education at Google, 鈥楨ducation disrupts poverty,鈥欌�� says Goering. 鈥淲e really liked that idea.鈥�
Goering says the atmosphere of innovation at 萝莉社 has been a huge help in fostering and encouraging their ideas, and Steinert agrees.
鈥淲e鈥檙e working with some people who are absolute geniuses,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e very intelligent in what they鈥檙e doing and they鈥檙e willing to help, which I think that, more than anything, has been extremely helpful for us. I mean you can鈥檛 really get anywhere by yourself. You鈥檝e got to have a network that can aid your advancements.鈥�