LAS VEGAS, USA – We’ve just been treated to a first look at one of NRC’s latest concepts, in the form of the Family Story Play prototype (pictured). The Palo Alto division of the Nokia Research Center has teamed up with the creators of Sesame Street in a joint research project (unconnected to the Calling All Innovators story from earlier today), with a view to helping grandparents connect with their grandchildren remotely through shared play and reading, with the equal benefit of helping promote and improve child literacy through engaged interaction. Read on to find out more.
The idea is that grandparents can remotely read their grandchildren stories using the device pictured – both households have the device pictured, which features a pair of video-conference enabled handsets. On the right-hand screen an accompanied child can see and hear their grandparent read the story, and when they turn the page in the removable paper book positioned beneath the screen, it notifies them with a ping sound to flip the page at their end. On the left-hand screen is Sesame Street character, Elmo, who reacts to the stories as their read in an engaged and interactive way, to help amplify the excitement of shared reading with family.
Have a look at our close-up shots of the concept Family Story Play devices below, and to find out more visit research.nokia.com/projects/storyplay.
The wooden concept prototype of Family Story Play
The Palo Alto research team have collaborated with Sesame Workshop
Elmo reacts to the story being told in the left-hand screen
When one person turns a page it notifies the other person with a ping sound
