With 2018 just around the corner, we're fast approaching the age of the video conference, and new technology is popping up all over the map to help us address the new challenges of business collaboration. One great example of that revolutionary tech comes from Max Makeev and Mark Schnittman, the co-founders of Owl Labs.
Drawing on a background in robotics, which includes the development and launch of the flagship Roomba device by iRobot, Mark and Max decided to transform the way we look at meetings with a video and audio experience that uses AI to enhance the potential of any standard conference.
I sat down with Mark and Max to discuss this clever little bird, and what find out exactly what it's capable of.
What is the Meeting Owl?
The first question I needed to cover when I met with Mark and Max, was "what is the Meeting Owl, and what can it do?" The Owl is advertised as a robot in disguise for the meeting room, capable of reading facial expressions, body language, and more. It's a smart IoT, and AI device, which comes packed with an 8-microphone array, 360-degree speakers, and a 360-degree camera lens.
"The coolest thing about the Owl is its intelligence software. This means that it can tell where you are in the room, and automatically focus on different people when they begin talking. There's a USB to plug into your laptop and computer, and that's where you run the meeting, using pretty much any software you like. We wanted it to be flexible, so there are no restrictions there. What makes the Owl unique is that it gets smarter, the longer you own it - it's basically the Tesla of the meeting room."
According to customers, the Meeting Owl offers an incredibly natural conference experience, something that I was able to experience for myself. It really does feel like you're in the room, sitting at the conference table, which is perfect for this remote working and dispersed environment.
What Kind of Market Are You Trying to Serve?
The Owl Labs company began in 2014, but the Meeting Owl didn't launch until June 2017:
"Hardware is hard, we had to invest a lot of money in finding the perfect team and getting things up and running, but we're here now. Our customers love the products we're delivering too, they keep coming back and buying more, and it's amazing to hear people all over the world asking us when we're going to expand to new countries".
One of the things that make the Meeting Owl so effective, is the fact that it's creating an immersive 360-degree tabletop experience for any market. Unlike some of the immersive meeting technology that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars, the Meeting Owl costs under $800 USD and gives you the same premium experience - ideal for smaller businesses, or those who want to outfit new huddle rooms.
"By delivering a plug-and-play system that works in everything from big meeting rooms to smaller huddle rooms, we're trying to cut down the costs of having an amazing meeting. Not only do you reduce the complexity of paying for the hardware, but you can cut the costs of IT support too because it's a business product, designed with the simplicity of a consumer product."
"People tried to convince us to raise the price, but we fought hard to keep it where it is. We want everyone to have the opportunity to access this technology."
