DISCLAIMER: this is a long text, it depict a project I really care about and it’s aimed to gather likeminded people around the goodwill possibilities and impact of technologies as a giveback for those of us luky enough to get more than we need working with it…just hope you’ll share my vision, at least in part, and decide to be part of the changement you wish to see for the world.
The world change with your actions, not your opinions.
The world is getting smaller.
I’m sure you have heard that before. Whether it be people talking about globalisation or simply realising that you know someone who someone else knows. A smaller world is simply a more accessible one, one where we can travel further, faster, and at a lesser expense.
The more the world develops the greater the possibility to explore it. However, there is a catch, there are T’s and C’s to this utopia on the horizon. Not just terms and conditions, these T’s and C’s are time and cash.
Not everyone has either the funds or the freedom to experience the beautiful country of Monaco, not everyone can lay eyes on the wonders within the Louvre nor the lifelike creatures in the Smithsonian. When we created our travel platforms we opened people’s minds to the world and its treasures. We used augmented reality to allow them to experience it in a new way. We gave them a ticket to a private utopia. It is still in progress but even what we have now is incredible.
my previous project’s success inspired an idea in me and my partners. So, they approached me with a dream, which — upon hearing — I decided to try to turn into a vision. Today I am asking you all to be visionaries with me and make it a reality.
The projected is currently called Ode, “ To the world”. ODE stands for Open Door Education. Its purpose is to use telepresence robots to allow people to virtually visit museums and other venues — specifically for schools and students.
The vision is that thousands of schools around the world will have access to museums and galleries across the globe. When studying the works of Frida Kahlo schools can rent a telepresence robot and join a tour that is taking place in Mexico City — even if the school is based in South Africa. Or perhaps when studying evolution they can see the Human Origins display at the Smithsonian. An architectural class in South Africa could see starchitecture in action by virtually visiting the Louvre Abu Dabhi. The possibilities are endless. It would take education to a new level. Class trips would no longer be limited to the nearest government facility or national landmark — they can take place anywhere in the world. It is an immersive experience of heritage — a cultural transfer that is second only to the real-life visit — and even that is arguable. There is growing discontent with the current education system, people are looking for changes and latching onto anything better than what they have now. The market is thirsty and we happen to be sitting on an oasis. It is prime time to monetize that.
A certain Mr King* once said:
“The beautiful thing about learning is that no one can take it away from you.”
I couldn’t agree more, learning is a gift. Though these words were not spoken by the Mr King you are probably thi@nking of. That is not the wisdom of Martin Luther Junior, it is a quote by a man known as B B King. Known as the King of Blues, B. B invented a new style of playing — some of which drew on earlier musicians and others that were entirely original. He managed to take this style to the world, bringing blues music to caucasian people and influencing other genres — from pop to rock.
Why am I telling you about a musician you may never have heard about?* Firstly, to discuss his quote. But secondly, because King was a man who came from a deprived background and worked his way into opportunity through his constant learning. He lived a lifestyle of education and met and learnt from different people throughout his life. His life tells a story, a story that began with potential and ended with fulfilment. And that is what O.D.E is all about. It is about stories and experiences. We believe in adventure and making memories. Blues Boy King’s life exemplified what we strive to uphold and if we do it right we might even have a greater impact on education than B. B King had on Blues.
Note, that King was not a master of 30 different instruments and 10 sports — he had a focus. He was after something specific and he explored it thoroughly. The purpose of Ode is similar, though we are not learning to play the guitar. We want teachers to be able to complement the section that they are teaching — not to rush through a whole venue. If you have been to a museum before and tried to see everything, chances are you will remember one or two things and the rest will fade into oblivion. An educational trip where you don’t remember anything does not help anyone.
Thus, we have decided to take a more practical approach. When schools want to book a Cicerobot they will be booking in-line with a specific field. Be it Pop Art or Roman Commerce, students will get a closer look at what they are studying through interesting archaeological finds or man-made exhibits. Whatever it may be that they are studying, they will be able to use our telepresence robots to explore it experientially — immersing themselves in a more realistic and personal manner. When looking into the ancient Roman culture they could explore the Museum of Ancient Arles or they can see the famous soup can paintings of Andy Warhol in the Modern Museum of Art. On a heavier note, history students can virtually visit one of the many smaller Holocaust museums that expose the harsh reality of the trials faced by the Jews in World War Two. In each situation they won’t deviate from their subject matter, they will dive into its reality.
We have decided to do it that way for several reasons. It makes for a better learning experience; it is more conducive to recalling the information later; and it is more logistically feasible. The venues will likely be less crowded if we incorporate the smaller museums — which often have very interesting and unique finds. These streamlined hour slots are advantageous to our processes and the school’s system. Just as the poetic form of an ode is focussed on one particular subject, so too will O.D.E allow schools to delve into whatever niche they are investigating.
King said that the beauty of learning was that nobody can take it away, but for us, the beauty is in the giving. In the words of Benjamin Franklin:
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”
Today, I am here to show you the vision — to invite you to dream with me and then to help me turn that dream into a reality that benefits school children around the world, even in the ost poorer areas because you should never waste an opportunity to help a mind grow. We want to see schools taking on a worldwide agenda of different locations — all of which are viewed through a Cicerobot lens. That is Ode (O.D.E). It will be marked as one of the peaks of globalization — internationally accessible education experiences.
The world may be getting smaller but opportunities are getting much bigger. Our previous work has opened this door of opportunity, step through it with me and together let us build a better world on the other side. Let us remodel education.
Let us make a world of open doors.
Ode, “To the world”
Thank you.
*may contain humor
