Panasonic helping Active Floor with interactive learning floors go global

High performing, reliable and cost effective Panasonic LCD projectors are at the heart of this innovative solution taking the education world by storm.

Panasonic PT-VW540/PT-VZ580EJ LCD, 5,000+ lumen WUXGA projectors – High performance, high brightness portable projectors made for collaboration.
Panasonic PT-MZ770 – A 3-LCD laser, 8,000 lumen WUXGA projector for its larger GigaFloor offering.

Distributor Partner:AV-Huset in Denmark

A Danish interactive learning solution from ActiveFloor, with Panasonic projectors at its core, is winning friends amongst the global education community for its ability to help children learn, have fun and exercise. And it’s timing couldn’t be better with 74% of teachers reporting they use digital game-based learning to enhance their lessons.

ActiveFloor projects educational games onto a floor or wall and enables children to interact with them. The solution has also already proven valuable to rehabilitation centres and children’s hospitals, entertainment venues and family restaurants.

One of the great benefits of the ActiveFloor offering is that teachers are able to build, adapt and use other games as they are created by the user community. Each user has their own cloud-based account, called MyFloor, where they can see more than 3,500 educational game applications that have been developed by ActiveFloor and other users around the world. This content is continuing to grow rapidly. With the click of a button teachers can then translate the content into any language, adapt and download the application for their own use.

The solution comes in three different formats, the standard interactive ActiveFloor solution; a giant GigaFloor, up to six times bigger; and the SportsWall, where instead of using feet to interact, participants can throw balls against the wall.

At the heart of each standard ActiveFloor interactive solution is a Panasonic LCD, 5,000+ lumen WUXGA projector. These high performance, high brightness portable projectors are made for collaboration and chosen for their low price/high performance ratio, which is critical to the education sector. Combined with a wide angled lens, a tracking camera, PC and speaker and ActiveFloor’s unique software, users can have the system installed and set-up in just 2 hours.

The larger GigaFloor solution uses a brighter 8,000 lumen, PT-MZ770 projector, which will shortly be replaced by the new Panasonic PT-MZ880 series.

Built on a solid relationship

“We have had a very good relationship with Panasonic ever since we started the business,” said Brian Würtz, founder of ActiveFloor aps. “In the beginning, Panasonic executives from Europe and Japan even visited us and were happy to try the games for themselves and discuss the right projectors for our needs.”

“Of course, the education market is very price sensitive and to be successful our solution has to be very competitive and reliable. The Panasonic projectors helps us to deliver that. I have tried competitor products and there are just more difficult to use. Panasonic is the best.”

Another important factor in the long-term relationship with Panasonic is the ability to supply projectors as and when required, said Brian. Working hand-in-hand with Panasonic and ActiveFloor to supply the projectors for the growing business is Panasonic distributor and specialist Danish AV provider AV-Huset. 

With 90% of sales already outside of Denmark, ActiveFloor is now looking to grow even faster with global expansion high on its priority list, particularly in the UK and North America. Distributors and reseller partners in these regions are a priority to help meet demand. And the company has a strong track record of successful deployments and happy customers to build upon.

Hillerød Hospital was the 10th hospital in Denmark to have an ActiveFloor – six of those donated by the SMILE Foundation charity. “It is lovely to have something to offer the children, so that they can make the time fly in a fun way and have some diversion from the things that might not be so fun here. The kids have the opportunity to play together and create new friendships,” said Annelise Bertelsen, nursing unit manager at the paediatrics unit.

ActiveFloor is a big success in Emily King’s class at Toll Gate Elementary in Pickerington, Ohio. She uses ActiveFloor every week with her students. “ActiveFloor’s gaming system satisfies students at all levels. I’m also able to use the interactive learning games for those with special needs (from non-verbal and severe autism to wheelchair users). Whether it’s one of the learning games, sensory games or an activity like soccer to encourage good behaviour, all my 750 students are able to participate in one way or another,” explained Emily.

“The opportunity is huge,” concluded Brian, “with potential for one or two Interactive Floors in every school across the world. Other market interest is also growing, such as in restaurants and museums, and also rehabilitation for stroke patients and assisting dementia patients, using a table version of the application. The opportunities are endless.”