iBeacon Development Tool

iBeacon Development Tool team working to simplify developers’ lives

It’s hard to imagine how we ever got “from here to there” without GPS technology. With GPS-based navigation capability now found in our phones, other mobile devices and vehicles, this nearly ubiquitous technology is supported by an entire ecosystem of apps, tools and developer communities. A UCF I-Corps team would like to be the catalyst for an ecosystem based on Apple’s new and exciting iBeacon location-based technology.

Whereas GPS is more of an outdoor navigation technology, iBeacon is based on a lower-energy Bluetooth variant and is designed for indoor implementations, such as an in-store application that could help direct consumers to specific items on sale. In this scenario, a small “beacon” in the store broadcasts notifications which are received on shoppers’ smartphones.

“We are excited about the market because it is so new that there is a real opportunity and need for appropriate development tools,” said UCF student Alexia Mandeville, Entrepreneurial Lead for the iBeacon Development Tool team. “For a technology like iBeacon to be widely adopted it really needs a critical mass of apps to support it. To achieve this, developers of these apps need the right tools—and that’s where our team comes in.”

The team is working to create an iBeacon software platform that will enable app developers the use of location-based game mechanics into real world applications. This tool can be used by businesses to connect with customers, by game developers who want to create location-based games played in real spaces, and by entertainment venues that want to provide interactive experiences to their visitors.

In addition to Mandeville, the team also includes UCF School of Visual Arts and Design faculty member Peter Smith, Ph.D., who serves as Principal Investigator, and industry veteran George Gramatikas, the team’s Mentor.

“For our team, it is important to be part of the UCF I-Corps program as it’s helping us to determine appropriate market strategies, test our hypotheses and learn more about what potential customers are looking for in this type of tool,” said Mandeville.