Innovative company on IVA’s top 100 list
The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences turns 100 this year and introduces a 100 list on research that can form the basis for innovation. One of the listed companies is AvBit, a start-up company that has developed an avatar that can be used to practice interviewing children.
On 20 March, researchers from Swedish higher education institutions and the trade and industry met at the event R2B Summit 2019. At the event, The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) presented a 100 list to celebrate that is has now been 100 years since IVA was established. The list covers research that can form the basis for innovation in the form of new companies, new products and services, business development, or other forms of utility.
One of the companies on IVA’s top 100 list is AvBit Labs, a start-up company with its roots in police science and media technology at Linnaeus University. The company has developed an avatar in the form of a computer-animated child that is controlled by another person, whose voice is transformed into a child voice in real-time. This avatar can be used to practice, with great realism, interview situations with children by professional groups like, for instance, police officers and social workers.
“This is a receipt that we are on the forefront and that there is great interest also among IVA members, which are to a large extent made up of technology companies. I’m proud that AvBit has been included on this list”, says Emma Hermansson, innovation adviser at Grants & Innovation Office at Linnaeus University.
Caption: From left, Jonas Björnlund, chairman AvBit Labs; Emma Hermansson, innovation adviser at Linnaeus University; Per Stihl, teacher on the police education and innovator.