First Look: 14 cutting-edge technology prototypes and startups to emerge from NYC Media Lab this spring
In just a few short weeks of iterative prototyping and market validation, NYC-based graduate students created use cases and applications across diverse industry verticals.
NYC Media Lab’s university consortium has had a productive spring. For the past several months, the Lab has worked with over 100 students and faculty members to facilitate Prototyping Projects with Verizon, Havas, and A+E Networks, producing dozens of new demonstrations that span technology areas like virtual and augmented reality, machine learning, conversational interfaces and blockchain. NYC Media Lab’s Combine accelerator program, now in its third year, has spawned new startup companies ready to take on opportunities across the City’s growing innovation community.
The Lab is proud to share with you 14 novel new prototypes and startup concepts that have emerged from spring 2018 programs. In just a few short weeks of iterative prototyping, market validation and customer discovery, NYC-based faculty and graduate students created use cases and applications across diverse industry verticals. The projects listed below reflect new opportunities for emerging media technologies in growing markets like health and wellness, future cities, media and entertainment, retail and commerce and education.
Please do not hesitate to reach out regarding these prototypes and startups. Contact Alexis Avedisian, NYC Media Lab’s Communications Manager, to learn more about the Lab’s projects, programs and events. alexis@nycmedialab.org
Health & Wellness
Ovee
Ovee provides personalized tools for women to take control of their sexual and reproductive health.
Courtney Snavely and Jane Mitchell
University Affiliation: The New School, Parsons School of Design
University Program: Design & Technology (Faculty)
“Participating in NYC Media Lab programs has taught us how to fail quickly. Starting a company is an iterative, non-linear process and the Lab has provided us with the tools we need to overcome our failures.” — Courtney Snavely, Ovee
Aduri
Aduri is creating a connected meditation system that combines live content and a physical multi-sensory environment that help you become a consistent, more engaged meditator.
Jesal Trivedi, Jahde Eve, Chaitanya Pattewar
University Affiliation: NYU Tisch School of the Arts
University Program: Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP)
Vrbal
Vrbal is a smart and adaptable VR training experience that serves as a space for people with social anxiety disorders to practice for real-life situations.
Olivia Cabello, Yuka Fukuoka, Ray Luo, Chanel Luu Hai, Jullia Suhyoung Lim
University Affiliations: NYU Tandon School of Engineering; Parsons School of Design; Columbia University; School of Visual Arts
University Programs: Integrated Digital Media (NYU); Design & Technology
(Parsons); Design for Social Innovation (SVA); Instruction Technology and
Media (Columbia University)
“Mentors in our program were very helpful in terms of giving us advice on what new technologies we could apply to our prototypes. NYC Media Lab facilitates innovative and technical projects that display where technology is at the moment.” — Olivia Cabello, Vrbal
Future Cities
See Level
See Level is an augmented reality application that explores how Governors Island has been engineered to fight climate change. Users will experience rising sea levels first-hand, see geoengineering, and explore a new future for NYC.
Lauren Malkani, Paolo Villanueva, Aarati Akkapeddi
University Affiliation: The New School, Parsons School of Design
University Program: Design & Technology
“We began with a very conceptual idea and transformed it into a powerful working prototype. Through our project we were able to transport people into the future and make huge topics like climate change accessible and tangible. This fellowship showed me the endless potential of creating interactive stories that come alive anywhere you are.” — Lauren Malkani, See Level
Ouvos
Ouvos is a community based navigation app that allows cyclists to share real time road conditions and receive hazard alerts.
Ahmed Ben Mansour, Kevin Navarra
University Affiliation: The City College of New York (CUNY)
University Program: Grove School of Engineering, Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership
“The process of market validation — going out and talking with people — might not be the easiest thing to do. But as we stand here with over 200 interviews in 3 months, we wish we would have started this process earlier. The amount of insights we were able to collect changed different aspects of our business for the better.” — Ahmed Ben Mansour, Ouvos
Fish Eyes
Fish Eyes is an AI software that analyzes video footage to improve future spatial planning.
Vivian Lee, Hannah Ekman, Tong Zhang, Aim Duangratana
University Affiliation: The New School, Parsons School of Design
University Program: Design & Technology
CitytravelAR
Citytravelar is an AR app that augments existing subway signs to provide information to MTA commuters such as delays, routes and nearby landmarks.
Vhalerie Lee, Subigya Basnet, Baris Siniksaran
University Affiliation: NYU Tandon School of Engineering
University Program: Integrated Digital Media (IDM)
Media & Entertainment
Rolling Muse
Rolling Muse is speed dating for music. Listen to short music clips. Swipe the songs you love. Have fun while discovering artists.
Sasha Stoikov, Sacha Stanton, Paul Heck
University Affiliation: Cornell University, Columbia University
University Program: Operations Research and Information Engineering, IEOR
1968 in Orbit
1968 in Orbit is an interactive narrative around the first orbit of the moon. The experience leverages ARKIT bring the experience of space exploration into the audience’s own environment.
Kathryn Bryan
University Affiliation: NYU Tandon School of Engineering
University Program: Integrated Digital Media (IDM)
“With a focus on group experimentation, I was able to reach out to another student to help me solve a development problem I was struggling with. NYC Media Lab connected me to a cohort of talented designers and developers working across projects and technologies.” — Kathryn Bryan, 1968 in Orbit
Impromptu
Impromptu is a multi-user AR experience that empowers non-musicians to participate in an audio visual jam session.
Corey Bertelsen, Maria Mishurenko
University Affiliation: NYU Tisch School of the Arts
University Program: Game Center
Retail & Commerce
FixAR
FixAR is an AR instructional tool that guides the user in troubleshooting hardware issues, improving customer service and consumer confidence.
Nelson Lin, Monica Chan
University Affiliation: Columbia University
University Programs: Mechanical Engineering; Instructional Technology & Media.
“We entered the program with minimal rapid prototyping experience, but learned significantly from our peers and mentors. We discovered that receiving feedback from target users at every stage of the process is important. NYC Media Lab cultivated a strong educational community for us, and was a bridge that connected us to industry professionals who work on similar challenges.” — Monica Chan, FixAR
Spaceplanar
Spaceplanar inspires, customizes and visualizes the wedding visions for couples and recommends the best venues and vendors that can bring those visions to life.
Tao Wei, Hanyu Zhao, Ran Sun, Andrew Mendez
University Affiliation: Parsons School of Design, Cornell Tech
University Program: Design & Technology, Connected Media
Education
LiftAR
LiftAR is an AR experience for parents and students to engage together on educational milestones from the common core system.
La Tricia Watford, Aaron Lee, Aimee Abalos, Karla Polo Garcia, Sydney Adams
University Affiliation: The New School, Parsons School of Design
University Program: Design & Technology
“I believe NYC Media Lab is important for New York. We are the leaders in technology as far as having access. Having VR, AR and AI technologies as a focus is new, but its revolutionizing how we approach the future, and allows us to think bigger and broader.” — La Tricia Watford, LiftAR
State of the Medium
State of the Medium is an AR Experience that explores how media has evolved over the last 50 years, focusing on the annual US State of The Union Address.
Richard Lapham, Akmyrat Tuyliyev, Jaycee Holmes
University Affiliation: NYU Tisch School of the Arts
University Program: Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP)
Contact Alexis Avedisian, NYC Media Lab Communications Manager, for any questions or comments regarding these prototypes (alexis@nycmedialab.org)
