JOHN ROYLE - Entrepreneur in Residence
PROVIDING HANDS ON SUPPORT FOR INVENTION AND INNOVATION
PRODUCTS AND INVENTIONS PORTFOLIO
Here are a few of my recent products and inventions:
Chronicle Digital Storytelling: Supporting communities and well-being using life storytelling.
Chronicle is a tech company that provides products and services focused upon life storytelling. The company works within Aged Care, Heritage and Retail Gifting markets. I have developed a number of innovative products that support Chronicle's work including interactive memory box products to support older people in care and at risk of isolation.
Size: SME
Markets: Aged Care (AgeTech * HealthTech) Heritage, Creative Industries, Retail Gifting
Skills: Prototyping, Product Development, Grant Funding, Marketing, Research
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Chronicle Snapshot Boxes allow voice recordings to support the comfort and well-being of people in care, including people with early stage dementia. I have designed the product, commissioned University Research to verify the efficacy, secured grant funding (including InnovateUK), developed marketing solutions and built the product.
Snapshot Memory Boxes
I have built a novel webapp that provides a platform for smartphone walking trails. The app uses a 'seek and discover' gaming model to help users find points of interest and then unlock content linked to their location.
Digital Walking Trails
I have developed several innovative heritage projects to allow people to enjoy personal stories. Most recently I helped BT celebrate 50 years of Innovation at Adastral Park in Suffolk by re-purposing a vintage phone box to allow people to dial up and listen to stories of innovation.
Innovative Heritage Projects
Ezyglide Adhesive Tape: Commercialisation of a retail DIY product from invention to high-street
Ezyglide is a low friction tape that solves the issue of curtains that catch on curtain poles. It is specifically designed to fix the issue with telescopic poles where rings catch at the join. I faced the problem myself and developed an innovation solution which I went on to commercialise, succeeding in pitching it to major UK high street retailers including The Range and B&Q. The tape now sells globally on-line with over 2,000 Amazon reviews. At it's peak, the business turned over circa. £150,000.
You'd probably be surprised at the impact it has on people's daily lives but the tape is a positive example of solving a problem with a novel and simple product.
Recent commercialisation activities include:
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Creating localised content for EU marketplaces using AI tools
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Developing an innovative day-parting marketing solution to allow ads to run at sunset times according to country
As part of my work with a local government authority in the UK, I implemented a system to measure town centre footfall using IoT tech. The solution measured the level of smartphone activity within a shopping centre as a proxy to help track the impact and visitation of new town centre markets.
Livepad was a visual presentation and surveying tool that used real-time audience engagement to capture insights and feedback in a creative way. The tool was used in multiple client engagements including capturing the emotive feedback of visitors to an impactful Yiwarra Kuju art exhibition that formed part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth, Western Australia.
I have developed a number of AI tools as personal projects including:
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An AI Song Generator to raise funds for Charitable Causes
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A Personalised What's On Guide that allows users to take photos of event posters and extract calendar information
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An Auction Assessment Tool to identify opportunities within on-line auctions
These have helped me to build skills in AI development.
What I can do for you
Some of my inventive projects have been showcased previously in the London Science Museum and currently at BT's Global Research and Development Innovation Showcase for innovative technologies that BT feels are relevant to the future of business and society.
My work has also been awarded with a Western Australia Premier’s Awards for Excellence in Public Sector Management in 2013 for an innovative crowdfunding model.
I'd like to share my experiences with you in the hope that they may help you with your own entrepreneurial adventure. I'm more than happy to sign Non-disclosure Agreements (NDA's).