The Safe and Easy Visible Solution for Social Distancing
IQMat, a smart, sensing, floor mat that guarantees social distance, has been debuted by Imagine Technologies in Geelong. The initial IQMat verifies that anyone waiting for a coffee, elevator, or simply to go through any door, is the right distance apart; if not, the mat alerts the consumer with an alarm or light. The initial version of the mat is to research consumer behaviours, and to modify to meet consumer needs.
“We all want social distancing to be safe and easy. Because we all want to be able to interact with others. But we also need to know that we can feel secure. IQMat makes it simple. It’s a Red light or Green light” says Chris Gilbey Executive Chairman of Geelong advanced materials technology company, Imagine Intelligent Materials Ltd. “Imagine has fast tracked development of the IQMat to enable open research, (beta testing) in order to move production of the mat forward as rapidly as possible”
“Consumers want certainty. Social distance is critical to controlling Covid-19. IQMat gives consumers precise, immediate feedback about how far apart they are. The IQMat can go anywhere. It uses a unique coating material that we developed here in Geelong to monitor pressure and movement, together with our signals processing technology to report on the distance between the consumers in a queue, crowd or line or to help direct people’s footsteps in a large area”.
The first prototype IQMat will be tested with consumers during lunch time period (1.30 – 2.30pm) at Cartel Coffee Roasters, Geelong’s highly rated coffee shop at 1/80 Little Malop St, Geelong VIC 3220.
IQMat uses graphene sensing technology developed by Geelong deep technology company, Imagine. The IQMat takes sensing data, monitors it, analyzes it, and in this mat version, links it instantly to a traffic light system of red and green lights. You don’t have to speak English to understand traffic lights – even a child understands: red is stop and green is go. Imagine is in discussions with a major flooring company to manufacture and take the mat to market as quickly as possible at a price that is affordable for any small business.
Chris Gilbey says, “Imagine wants to see how consumers react to the mat and lights; we want to understand how much this simple system can make businesses and cafes and buildings in general, places that people will want to go to and feel safe in. We are now doing active consumer research to the extent possible in a lock down environment so that we can make any necessary changes quickly and fast track major production.”
“We know IQMat is great for Aussie small businesses right now. And for us, its only the smallest first step. Imagine has been working on introducing a large footprint, complete floor solution which will allow social distancing throughout large buildings, including office, retail and medical.
“Today we need visible solutions. IQMat gets small business operational by ensuring distance and giving consumers peace of mind. This mat is the first step.”
Further information Chris Gilbey Executive Chairman
Imagine Intelligent Materials Limited, North Geelong. +61 (0) 414 223 763
For further information please contact:
Chris Gilbey OAM
+61 414 223 763
About Imagine Intelligent Materials:
Imagine IM is an Australian graphene sensing company, founded in 2014 by Chris Gilbey and Phil Aitchison. Imagine has developed a licensing and certification model that assures participants in the supply chain of the replicability of graphene functionality and quality. Imagine is the lead industrial partner in Graphene Certification Labs, based at Swinburne University and was also the first Australian company to build a commercial scale graphene manufacturing capability. Imagine was the first company in the world to develop conductive geosynthetic materials using functionalised graphene and is the first company to be able to deliver large scale surface sensing using graphene.