New @ InfoComm 2016

I’ve been an educational technology director for 25 years, with a significant track record in large educational technology and AV purchases. I returned from walking every aisle of InfoComm 2016, searching for promising trends, developments, and products that might offer value for the education market.

What does an educator see? I look for both memes that make sense in education as well as the practical solution: the product that potentially meet a need or solves a pain somewhere in my organization. Something crisply new and eye-catching can also spark a burgeoning idea in an educator’s mind. And at times, we chuckle when we see the emperor’s new clothes (vaporware, hype, or solutions in search of a problem to solve).

Frankly, this year’s InfoComm hoopla—from an educator’s perspective only—left me underwhelmed. There were no blockbusters, killer educational technologies, nor grand entrances as in past years. There was little to get us to stand to our feet and applaud great educational potential. This was a tepid year—a year of stolid incrementalism at best. Nevertheless, here are some of my ed-market visualizer observations:

A Document Camera Uptick? 

This year I noticed far more document camera companies displaying their wares (Qomo, Elmo, Wolf, HoverCam, et. al.) But does this represent an uptick in document camera sales? Not really. Some data suggest that 60% of U.S. classrooms already have document cameras. So here's a trend I am seeing: It seems each of these companies is moving away from their core competency (manufacturing visualizers) and branching out to ancillary markets by retooling or creating alliances. Thus, these companies were all featuring lecture recording devices, 360° cameras, collaboration software, presentation stations, or other technologies that leverage their know-how. Still, I wish these companies understood a bit better how to reach the remaining 40% of viz-less classrooms, and how to enter the legacy replacement market in a more positive and proactive way. I wish I could hep them more...

Doc Cams @ ISTE 2013

While the number of document camera companies exhibiting at the ISTE 2013 conference was down this year, offerings in visualizer features evidenced a small spike upwards. Here is a quick survey of new things happening in the world of document cameras at the ISTE 2013 conference, in blistering hot San Antonio:

HoverCam

Hovercam was featuring a new partnership with Zoom, offering a nice troika of document camera—video conferencing—remote collaboration that is hard to beat. Basically, they are combining forces to offer high-definition screen sharing, annotation, MP4 recording, and live conferencing for up to 25 participants—on any Mac, Windows, iOS or Android device.  The extensibility to mobile devices is noteworthy. They were also showing off their new HoverCam mini 5, which is smaller than a water bottle, but as powerful as the big boy visualizers.

QOMO

QOMO was on display with great enthusiasm, revealing their new visualizers, like the QD3900 and the nicely portable QPC70, with new HDMI input/output features. Basically, this allows schools to connect high-def devices to the document camera or connect the document camera itself to projectors or classroom displays that offer high-definition capabilities, like HD TVs.

Elmo

Elmo rolled out their UVC (USB video class compliant) TT-12i. That means it is able to stream video smoothly, enabling high-quality use in video conferencing, distance learning, and lesson recording.

IPEVO

IPEVO was highlighting their new VGA/USB Dual-Mode document camera, the VZ-1 HD. This feature allows the educator to bypass the computer, if necessary, and display directly through a projector. Nothing new, but a useful functions  in some school settings. What I liked better was the hard switch for selecting camera resolution.

2013 Super List

2013 List of Visualizer Manufacturers

Here’s my comprehensive list of all known visualizers on the market. (If you see one missing, please leave a comment below.) Use this list for purposes of product evaluation, comparing features, bidding, and identifying RFP resources for your classroom document camera needs:

Top Manufacturers in K-20 settings (in alphabetic order)

AVerInformation www.averusa.com/presentation

Elmo http://www.elmousa.com/

Ken-A-Vision http://ken-a-vision.com/cameras/groups/document-cameras-visualisers

Lumens http://www.myladibug.com/

Pathway Innovations      http://www.thehovercam.com

QOMO http://www.qomo.com/ProductList.aspx?CategoryID=1

Recordex http://recordexusa.com/PresentationSolutions.html

Samsung Techwin: http://www.samcam860.com/

Other Notable Manufacturers (in alphabetic order)

All in Learning ($25 dollar Doc Cam) www.allinlearning.com 
Buhl http://www.hamiltonbuhl.com/store/c/3161-Visual-Presenters.aspx

Califone http://www.califone.com/visual.php

Epson http://www.epson.com/cgi-bin/Store/jsp/EdProjectors/Home/ClassroomSolutions.do?BV_UseBVCookie=yes

iPevo http://www.ipevo.com/

Luna http://www.learningresources.com/product/luna--8482-+interactive+projection+camera.do?sortby=ourPicks&sortby=&

Optoma http://optomausa.com/products/detail/DC300

VidiFox http://www.vidifox.com/documentCamera.php

WolfVision http://www.wolfvision.com/visualizer/index.php/en

InfoComm-ISTE Update

The new  ELMO small form factor document
camera, shown this June.

Two of the largest technology shows in the U.S. were held this last June. Both InfoComm (in Las Vegas) and ISTE (in San Diego) continued the trend toward more products, rapid feature improvements, and new manufacturers in the arena of document cameras. Over the next few months, I intend to cover in the pages of this blog some of the most intriguing and surprising developments in the document camera field to date. For now, let’s just say that this industry shows no signs of waning. Instead, innovation and feature advancement are alive and well.

Wolfvision showcased their offerings
for the  medical and university markets.
This basic unit retails in the $3,000 range.

Every major manufacturer was present at these shows, along with some newcomers. Most were in the exhibit halls, while some (like Lumens) featured personalized private showings in nearby suites along with a solid exhibit hall floor presence. My book, DigitalShapeshifter, was on sale or on display at ISTE. But what was missing—and needs to be there—is a stronger “instructional practice” presence: presentations, workshops, and poster sessions evidencing effective classroom use of document cameras. It's not good enough to just be in exhibit hall booths. Document camera technologies, which are so potentially transformative in nature, must navigate their way into the educational and intellectual currents of these major conferences.

Pathway Innovations was showing new
versions of their HoverCam document cameras.

Watch for my list of updated document camera manufacturers, which will follow in the conclusion to this series. And don’t worry— I’ll continue to pepper this series and the entire blog with great instructional ideas and suggestions, not just new product reviews. It’s all about learning in the classroom…

The Lumens 3D and wireless document cameras
were also shown at ISTE

Choices Abound (1)

Some of the common questions that educators ask include: "who makes document cameras?" or "what are the options?" You actually have many solid choices. The document camera manufacturers below represent the largest presence in the educational market. I have provided links for connecting with each of them.

Common Manufacturers in K-20 Settings (in alpabetic order)

AVerInformation averusa.com/presentation

Elmo www.elmousa.com/digital-visual-presenters.php

Lumens www.myladibug.com/

Pathway Innovations www.thehovercam.com

Qomo www.qomo.com

Samsung Techwin: http://www.samcam860.com/