In 2021, we saw a new government Grant pop up on the radar called “COVID-19 TECH VOUCHER”. The program provides support funding for technology-rich startups, scaleups or small to medium enterprises (SMEs) to collaborate with Publicly Funded Research Organisations (PFROs) to conduct R&D projects that accelerate the commercialisation of products and services that address the impact of COVID-19.
We saw an opportunity to apply for the “COVID-19 TECH VOUCHER” using our Patented SENTINEL technology that encompasses a range of AI capabilities. We are contemplating humanising the SENTINEL by naming the devices and positioning them as a gender neutral health and safety ambassador as the new world opens up. Our aim is to stop the spread of Covid infection worldwide by using the SENTINEL as a friendly reminder to do the right thing. Identify, check and sanitise. We would be aiming to use social conscience to deliver the message of trust and safety. Since the onset of COVID 19, Envent has subsequently developed to incorporate additional features including monitored hand sanitisation, facial recognition, people counting, escalator safety, wayfinding, temperature checking, mental health checks and assistance for the vulnerable.
Envent approached the University of Newcastle(UoN) as a(PFRO) to partner with Envent to seek government funding at which they agreed through their FASTLAB commercialisation arm. They agree to provide the following services to us as our subcontracted partner: Literature Review, Data Collection and Ethic review, Design and user engagement, Design Architecture workshops, Prototype Testing, Validation and optimisation. Envent would use the COVID-19 Tech Voucher funding to reimburse the University for its associated time and resources.
Envent was successfully awarded the Grant in April of 2022 on behalf of the partnership and the UoN. We will continue developing this technology with the assistance of the UoN until 2023 and hopefully beyond. We are extremely humbled to be working with the University of Newcastle on such an auspicious undertaking and are looking forward to the positive results and commercialising this fun and engaging technology.
Please contact Envent for more Information about our AI capabilities and the SENTINEL.
