The UK’s leading education technology show returns to the ExCeL Centre in London on 20-23 January, with a host of manufacturers launching and demoing the latest interactive and collaboration solutions for education
Bett 2016 includes a number of new features. The Hands on Learn Live Tablet Academy Take Over will provide visitors with the opportunity to use a range of products, and have one-to-one conversations in an intimate workshop environment. Trade@Bett is a new ‘event within an event’ that helps education suppliers meet, network and develop business opportunities with resellers and distributors from around the world. The STEAM Village will play host to a number of organisations supporting learning in the STEAM subjects: science, technology, engineering, arts and maths.
Popular returning features include the Bett Arena, where headline names address the big topics in education: this year the programme includes a TED prize winner, Professor Sugata Mitra, looking at child-driven education and learning; an opening address from Nicky Morgan MP, Secretary of State for Education and Minister for Women and Equalities, UK; and a discussion forum ‘The great disruption debate – the future of ed tech’.
Turning to the showfloor, Barco is exhibiting at Bett for the first time in 2016 with a focus on its interactive collaborative learning solutions. Barco will offer a campus wide BYOD solution enabling interactivity, collaboration and wireless presentation in learning spaces for primary, secondary, and higher education. In addition, the Barco booth (D445 in Hall N1-19) will be showing a wide range of display solutions and presentation systems for lecture halls, classrooms and meeting rooms.
For Crestron, Bett provides the opportunity to showcase AirMedia, which enables students to wirelessly present their findings to a classroom using any source or format, including their personal connected smart device. Crestron will also be showing its DMPS3-4K-150-C, a product it claims is the only end-to-end solution that delivers the ultimate 4K viewing experience.
Extron’s latest digital, streaming and recording, and collaboration solutions will be on show including its MediaLink Plus Controllers, the new DTP CrossPoint 4K Series, and its SMP 351 streaming and recording processor.
MediaLink Plus Controllers are fully configurable Ethernet controllers that are suited to handling common AV functions such as input switching, and Ethernet control of AV devices.
The DTP CrossPoint 4K Series is a new series of 4K scaling matrix switchers available in four I/O configurations.
The SMP 351 is a streaming and recording processor for capturing and distributing AV sources and presentations as live streaming or recorded media. Featuring up to five input connections, the SMP 351 allows users to create lectures and presentations by combining two high resolution signals, a background image, and metadata into layouts delivered live over a network or replayed on demand.
Toshiba will focus on solutions that enable learning in any location. One such solution is the Portégé Z20t, which is a hybrid device that combines the features of a tablet and a laptop. The device’s integrated Intel WiDi allows teachers to stream their own or a student’s work onto a whiteboard to encourage interactive learning. There will also be hands on demonstrations to make educators aware of all the options available to them.
Elsewhere, Vestel returns to Bett with a new line-up including interactive flatpanel displays, big screen curved TVs, and large format commercial displays.
The new 65in, 75in, and 84in interactive flatpanel displays enable teachers to engage with more of their students with a 178° degree viewing angle, which can be seen from any seat in the classroom and offers improved visibility even in sunny or well-lit rooms.
The displays also include multi-touch features ranging from four to 10 point touch functionality.
The displays can be quickly installed and adapted to suit the space available in the classroom as wall-mounted or standalone solutions. The models can also be designed with built-in PC functionality, compatible with an Intel PC module, they can be used on site and with a wide range of software programs.
Vestel’s new big screen 78in curved LED TV creates a more immersive viewing experience and reduces glare from the screen, therefore well suited to well-lit assembly halls and theatres. Designed with the option of 4K UHD resolution, it displays material with definition and clarity ideal for presentations and signage. The TV also has an HDMI 2.0 port and numerous USB ports to stream 4K UHD content from external devices as well as downloading and playing content back via USB, so that any photography or video projects can be easily shared and displayed. The optional built-in DTS TruSurround HD provides higher standards of audio, ensuring that dialogue as well as ambient sound can be more clearly distinguished.
Lastly from Vestel, its large format commercial displays are being showcased to highlight the benefits of digital signage for schools and universities. The models range from 32in-84in and offer 4K UHD as well as full HD resolution options. They are equipped with edge-lit LED technology to ensure lower power consumption rates, Vestel claims as little as 95W for the 47in model. Each display is designed for long-term, uninterrupted use, with panel life of 50,000 hours, and they can also withstand a wide range of temperatures and high humidity levels. Staff can schedule a host of signage functions via PC, as the displays offer a multi-screen management system, coming with industry standard RS-232C Control.
Vivitek is launching NovoPRO, a collaboration solution that enables instant wireless connectivity to a projector and wide device compatibility for up to 64 simultaneous participants. The aim to better connect teacher and students in a classroom to one presentation system allowing them to interact and share visual content.
With NovoPRO, anyone in a classroom that’s using the system can connect to a projector and instantly share and collaborate. The system allows teachers and students to connect from tablets, phones or laptops using WiFi. Additionally, NovoPRO has a split screen view, which simultaneously displays content from up to four participants.
As well as being able to connect up to 64 users, any device display can be projected in real time for video streaming and file sharing. Key functions such as on-screen annotations as well as web browsing are all enabled to increase participation and collective creativity.
Vivitek’s mix of digital projectors for education offer teachers ease of use and reliability in the classroom, and the NovoPRO is compatible with all Vivitek projectors. The interactive education portfolio also features 3D technology and is available with short-throw and ultra-short-throw projection lenses to avoid shadows on the screen and efficient use of classroom space.
WolfVision will be bringing its new vSolution Cynap wireless presentation and collaboration system to Bett. Cynap is a multi-functional knowledge sharing solution for education and business, which enables users to access, display, record, and share digital content of all types, from a wide range of sources.
Cynap is compatible with all iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac devices, and wireless BYOD functionality allows up to four devices to share information simultaneously on-screen, with up to 4K UHD output resolution. With support for AirPlay and Miracast, and with content arrangement to optimise on-screen space, information of all types is mirrored onto any display, ready for instant sharing and distribution.
On board HD recording of all multimedia presentation and lecture content is provided, and in addition, unlimited numbers of students on the same network as the presenter can use WolfVision’s vSolution Capture app to receive and record a direct stream of presentation or lecture content direct from Cynap. Students can personalise their own individual copy of the recorded stream by adding notes and annotations in real-time, further enhancing the value of their own recordings.
When there is a requirement to also incorporate ‘live’ materials into presentations or recordings, Cynap can be used in combination with a WolfVision Visualiser System, enabling a combination of both digital and analogue content to be shown onscreen simultaneously.
