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Bounce Imaging was founded by three MIT graduates and has been featured in national and international media. The venture was a 2012 Gold Prize winner in MassChallenge, an organization that supports entrepreneurs with resources, training, and networking. Most recently, Bounce Imaging was named a 2013 Popular Science Invention Award winner.
This summer, Bounce Imaging will continue to refine its product as it enters field trials with police partners. The company also plans to develop more relationships with first responders around the world. Below, co-founder David Young talks about the inspiration for Bounce Imaging and its potential applications.
Where did the idea for Bounce Imaging begin? What do you see as the purpose of the device you're creating?
We developed the idea for Bounce Imaging after the 2010 Haiti earthquake demonstrated the need for a low-cost, easy-to-use imaging and sensor technology to search for victims after a major disaster. The core concept of “seeing inside dangerous spaces” was then expanded to other first-responder applications needed by professionals like police and firefighters. The core purpose of our product is to reduce risk and save the lives of first responders and civilians by allowing personnel to gather information about hazardous spaces and environments before having to enter them.
What types of scenarios do you foresee your technology being useful in?
Interviews with police officers suggest that our technology could be applied in hostage situations, active shooter scenarios, and other situations where officers feel a threat lies around a corner or in a room. Firefighters in particular hope to use our onboard sensors to detect hazardous gases like hydrogen cyanide and carbon monoxide, which are often present in buildings after fires. They also see the potential in helping to search buildings for victims before they need to decide whether to enter a building. Other first-responder applications range from Homeland Security container inspection to nuclear plant safety, but our initial focus is on the police application.
What have been some of the most memorable moments so far?
Our most rewarding moments have been the close interactions we have had with first responders. The chance to spend hours interviewing top SWAT officers or fire chiefs who are excited about our product has been amazing, and we’ve been blown away by how generous these public servants have been with their time. It has also been an unexpected experience to be highlighted in major publications like TIME and BusinessWeek and on New England Cable News (NECN), which we never expected. While at times uncomfortable for camera-shy individuals, it has really helped us connect with more first responders.
For more information about Bounce Imaging, visit its website.
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Comments
Simple, but effective
This looks exactly what Jack Bauer needs to use before he goes through a door in "24!" The company should, in fact, see if it can get producers of an action movie to use this product in a realistic scenario in which emergency responders need to see the inside of a dangerous room (e.g. with criminals, or a fire) before they enter themselves.
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