Smoothboard Air: Mirrored Display to Multiple Mobile Devices in the Classroom

A startup in Singapore has developed an intriguing software solution that enables collaboration on multiple mobile devices. Smoothboard Air is a new product from Smoothboard Tech, which launched its original Smoothboard software back in 2009. The first incarnation let users create interactive whiteboards out of flatscreens using a Nintendo Wiimote.

But the company’s new Smoothboard Air feature is a little more practical, allowing users to create a collaborative whiteboard which they can access from many mobile devices in the same room.

When this is used in a classroom setting (which is the primary service’s target), a QR code is displayed on the main screen at the front of the room. And if a student scans that QR code with a mobile or tablet, they can then access and interact with that screen in their browser. From there, any participant can be given annotation permissions or remote control functions.

Smoothboard’s founder, Boon Jin, explains that “BYOD (Bring-your-own-device) classrooms where students have their own mobile devices will find Smoothboard Air an excellent platform to complement lessons.” I’m not sure how well it will work with younger students, but I imagine this could really be useful in college or high school classrooms, in certain situations. Boon Jin points to the example of a teacher displaying a graphic of the human body, and asking students to label the different parts of the body [1].

As for revenue, Smoothboard Tech notes that the original version of Smoothboard had more than 15,000 paid users. And as I understand it the new version will follow a similar model, charging US$19.99 for a per computer license. Any mobile device can then connect to that computer’s display without the need for any further licenses.

It seems like a pretty clever piece of software, currently available for Windows only, although a Mac version is in the works. If you’d like to learn more you can click over to Smoothboard’s website, or check out the demo video below.