It caused Gray to look into technology on the market that could help him as he raised his son. But the lack of customization, high cost and stringent insurance requirements that kept his son from eligibility for some devices pushed Gray to create his own approach.
“Every autistic or special needs kid is different,” said Gray, who applied his engineering experience working with Disney to create a new approach. “Then you see these devices on the market, and they are all the same. How do you expect to say that every kid is different but then the treatment for every kid is the same?”
Gray’s Ignite Balance company has partnered with 302 Interactive to build A.L.I.C.E., a sturdy and durable iPad-like device equipped with 302-built software.
A.L.I.C.E., which stands for Animated Learning Interactive Communication Engine, works through two main devices that aim to improve communication between a non-verbal or pre-verbal child and a caretaker.
It’s another example of how 302 is partnering to provide meaningful products that help others, an effort the company calls “tech for good.”
“There are so many positive applications for augmented reality and related technologies,” 302 CEO Kyle Morrand said. “Daniel came to us with his idea, looking for a partner that shared his approach and we jumped immediately.”
But Gray did not come to 302 first. Other former partners ended up not sharing his vision for the company, often prioritizing different things than Gray.
But 302 matched the vision, he said. “They really put their heart into this product,” Gray said of 302 Interactive. “They are just as excited about updates and working with the product as we are.” Gray said 302 has helped him as he seeks funding grants and alternate ways to keep development costs manageable.
That itself was a big difference from previous partners, he said.
“We had a group that we just walked away from because it always came down to financial gain,” he said. “From a business perspective, it’s important that the people in your group gel. If you don’t have that, it will never work.” Gray wrote the software now being used in the product, which he plans to formally launch at a conference this summer. It came out of both his and his son’s frustration with the available products on the market. “Sometimes necessity is the father of invention,” he said.
