Some of our research has led to the development of certain prototypical products that we use as benchmarks and building blocks in our consulting and design work. Concepts are first prototyped in the lab, where wegather information in order to inform our theories and feed back into lab research and development.

Phydgital Interspace

The Phydgtial InterSpace is a prototype design testing our approach to teaching innovation skills within informal learning environments. We presented the prototype as an experiment in our Storefront innovation Playtank, hosted at Urban ReThink. Users interact with physical objects that have an impact on a digital environmental simulation. They are encouraged to learn through experimentation and to make creative leaps in order to arrive at unique, creative solutions. The model for interaction engagement is based on the InterPlay instructional strategy developed by Christopher Stapleton and Dr. Atsusi Hirumi.

Mission LEAP

Mission LEAP (Lunar Expedition for Astronaut Pioneers) is a unique approach to museum exhibit design that uses a combination of story, play, and game to engage the audience in a role-playing and cooperative problem solving environment. We prototyped the entire exhibit and invited kids from a local school to interact, as if they were visiting the final museum experience. From this experience, we were able to see how kids engaged together and in groups; we were able to explore the power of cooperative and competitive play, and to see what aspects of game play supported or detracted from the core learning objectives. Using live actors as docents and computer AI, we experimented with a museum experience that fluctuated between individual play and larger, more challenging group scenarios.

Teacher Talk 

Teacher Talk is a collaboration between Simiosys and the Haberman Educational Foundation. The goal of Teacher Talk is to help teachers (especially new teachers) identify the psychological goals that motivate challenging students, and to help them respond appropriately in order to build productive classroom relationships.