Why is this work relevant for Brand Experience & Activation?
With this idea, through the creation of a new app, we give a different and powerful use to technological devices that most Spanish families have in their homes. We take advantage of the existing hardware embedded in Samsung tablets (cameras), to offer a new and revolutionary experience and service far beyond sales and financial results.
Tallk app democratises communication, allowing ALS patients to talk again no matter their age, gender or social status… And all of this, just by using a normal, and cheap, Samsung tablet.
Background
SITUATION. ALS is a disease that leaves people completely immobile and silent. Is the most expensive neurodegenerative disease. Currently, there are specialised technologies that assist with communication, but their cost of around €6,000 makes them beyond reach for 90% of Spanish patients where the average income is just €23,000.
BRIEF. To create a cheap and effective communication technology for all ALS patients, and help them to interact with the physical world just by using their gaze. The same thing expensive technologies do, but for first time… available for everyone.
OBJETIVE. To connect ALS patients to a whole system of devices in order to restore the ability to interact with their environment again. To democratise communication, using a technology affordable for every patient, no matter their gender, age or social status. To create PR about Samsung TCP Project (Technology with purpose) and how technology can help those who really need it.
Describe the creative idea (20% of vote)
TALLK app is a free software that takes advantage of the technology of almost every Samsung tablets cameras to locate the pupils and characteristics points of the face, translating its movements within a predictive virtual keyboard and verbalising the text entered by the user. In this way, patients can interact with Samsung's voice assistant, Bixby, to solve requests and control home devices by using Samsung’s Smart Things technology. Which allows them not only to communicate, but also to interact again with the world around them. And everything, for less than €200.
We have created a free application that transforms an existing technology into a new, affordable and revolutionary service supporting all ALS patients and carers.
Describe the strategy (20% of vote)
90% of ALS patients can’t afford the technology needed to talk again and/or regain mobility.
Today most families in Spain (90% of families) have in their homes the hardware necessary to create a cheap and effective communication technology. The cameras in Samsung tablets have eye recognition and tracking technology. A technology used mainly to unlock devices but, with the necessary software, can achieve so much more.
For this reason, together with a Spanish startup specialising in eye tracking solutions, we have created the free app TALLK. An app that, just by using a tablet, lets ALS patients to talk and interact again to the world.
Through the creation of a new app, we give a different and powerful use to cheap technological devices. We use and take advantage of an existing technology to offer a new and revolutionary service to our consumers and the society.
Describe the execution (30% of vote)
The cameras of Samsung tablets (200€ price) can track people’s eyes, so we have developed a software to enhance this technology, normally used to unlock devices.
Our application is operated with the eyes, so the design must focus on this, in order to simplify the navigation and have a proper response. The app includes predictive algorithms that learn from the users: the way they talk and the words they use more often. And thanks to Bixby, Samsung’s voice assistant, they can use the app to control different devices and home appliances.
The app was launched on September 2020, but is still evolving, we keep on adding new features and functionalities to improve the lives of ALS patients and their families.
It has a national scale (Spain), but can be use in other Latin countries (for the moment, the app is only available in Spanish).
List the results (30% of vote)
3 months after the launch, the 50% of Spanish patients have use the app.
3 million views (Campaign spot)
Reach of 62 million.
More than €1M PR value
Trending Topic on Twitter.
96% positive comments on SSMM