Before the pandemic hit Australia, startups led by UQ alumni received funding from Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration program to scale up solutions in STEM education and connected campus technology.
The COVID-19 crisis has accelerated programs that expand learning models, which had been in development for some years already.
Cisco is enabling the next era in learning, helping to augment the classroom with new models such as personalised, distance, and flipped learning using a blend of physical and virtual learning capability. These require accessible and fast connectivity, cyber security, and people-centric intuitive campuses that foster innovation and prepare students for future jobs with initiatives like STEM education, research and innovation programs. This is the big picture but getting there still requires small steps.
The collaboration between Cisco and UQ will support three startups from the University’s 2019 ilab Accelerator program spanning educational robots and people counting technology.
Micromelon Robotics builds robots and software to support education in schools, while Robotics Playground creates engaging robotic workshops for students. Fiffy Solutions has developed people counting technology that targets university campuses.
