Robotic telepresence will help students, teachers in classrooms and homes
Ed-tech video provider Swivl announced on April 14 the debut of its new live conferencing solution with robotic telepresence, Swivl Cloud Live.
Swivl’s robotic video capture solution, the Swivl Robot, and online content platform, Swivl Cloud, are in use in classrooms across the globe. Now, the company takes the next step toward bridging the gaps between home, school and the real world.
Initially available this month through closed beta, the new live video conferencing solution provides teachers with a means to connect with remote viewers, such as chronically homebound students, planned absentees, distance learners and even mentors or coaches. In some cases, attending with a live connection is a requirement for receiving class credit or meeting evolving requirements for students with disabilities, making this a necessary and compelling addition.
Next page: How Swivl Cloud Live enables lesson content sharing
Swivl Cloud Live not only grants remote viewers control over the Swivl Robot during lessons for true telepresence, but also still automatically tracks teachers, enables sharing of lesson content presented in class and simultaneously records both video and content in HD for building online libraries. This functionality allows remote participants to truly experience class how they would were they actually present, easily transitioning from passive listeners to actively engaging in dialogue and group activities.
“Both education and business users have been asking for a live solution for some time now,” said Swivl co-founder, Brian Lamb. “We always had the intent to develop the application, but we wanted to do it right and ensure we took full advantage of all of Swivl’s Robot and Cloud capabilities. Now we’re doing that with one of the least expensive solutions on the market.”
“The applications here are many,” continued Lamb, “but one of the most compelling is connecting classrooms with guest and expert lecturers. Swivl is already a great solution for capturing and delivering lessons, lectures and student projects, but we also had the ability to provide teachers with a means to remotely host industry experts, observe them in the field and share that knowledge with their students. So, we did it.”
Further to the company’s expansion of its service offering, Swivl just last week announced a host of updates to its cloud platform, including:
• Free, unlimited storage of videos for all users
• Enhanced, two-way and time stamped commenting capabilities
• Embedding of videos on external sites (e.g., learning management solutions)
• Direct uploading of PowerPoint slides
Swivl Cloud Live will be publicly available this summer, in time for educators to prepare for its use during the new school year. To learn more about Swivl Cloud Live, visit www.swivl.com or contact michael@swivl.com.
Material from a press release was used in this report.
- Friday 5: College and career readiness - April 12, 2024
- Cybersecurity: eSN Innovation Roundtable - April 11, 2024
- School-home communication remains a challenge for many districts - April 10, 2024