London, 02 January 2010 – Panasonic is due to unveil a ‘classroom of the future’ at January’s BETT educational technology show. The classroom is a complete technology solution designed to improve both audible and visual communication, in a secure classroom environment.

VISUAL SOLUTIONS
Among the products that will be on display in the classroom is the soon-to-be-launched UB-T880 elite Panaboard – Panasonic’s ‘multi-touch’ interactive whiteboard. Up to three points can be touched at once on the board’s surface to interact with images, data and text.
As a complete provider Panasonic offers a true complete solution by delivering the elite Panaboard with Easiteach software – the whole class teaching and learning application. With the integration of third party expertise Panasonic enables to simplify customer’s experience and increase efficiency.

COMMUNICATION SOLUTIONS
Panasonic will also be showcasing its new gesture-recognition technology, which has been specially developed for the education sector. Gesture recognition can be used in conjunction with Panaboards, cameras, microphones and speakers to enable teachers to operate slide shows and videos using gestures alone. It can also count the number of students who raise their hands to answer a question and display additional clues, animation or celebratory messages as appropriate.

Peyton predicts that remote learning at all levels will increase over the coming years, and Panasonic will also be demonstrating its new HD Visual Communication System, designed to improve distance learning far beyond what is possible with current technology. The system will be launched in Europe later in 2010.

AUDIO SOLUTIONS
Alongside the Panaboard, gesture recognition, and the HD Visual Communication System, Panasonic’s classroom of the future will demonstrate a wide range of other technologies. These include audio solutions designed to improve students’ concentration and reduce teacher voice fatigue – increasing academic performance and reducing behavioural problems.

SECURITY SOLUTIONS
As well as providing advanced audio and visual solutions to the classroom, the Infrared Wireless Microphone System has a built in panic button to help teachers feel more secure at work. When the button is pressed, the system can send emails to alert others of a potential problem, or can activate a panic light. If the microphone is linked with a video camera, it can also start filming the class and recording sound and pictures.

The classroom of the future will also host toughbook PCs, IP camera systems, professional projectors, plasma displays, telephone systems, Digitally Enhanced Cordless Telephones and multifunctional printers as well as high-quality document scanners. The classroom will emphasise how Panasonic’s solutions help teachers to deliver education more efficiently and reduce total cost of ownership. Visitors to BETT can visit the classroom and test the technology at stand D102.