Impulse
Project Team
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Supervision |
Introduction
iBeacons are small Bluetooth Low Energy transmitters that continuously broadcast their own Identity. Smartphones with mobile apps can receive this information and then provide users with contextual, relevant information such as an alert when a user enters or leaves a beacon zone, or trigger the right content.
Until now iBeacons are primarily used in retail or indoor navigation. We are taking the iBeacon technology to the next level and use its potential in our innovative iPhone app Impulse.
Goal / Motivation
Impulse - "a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act"
Our goal is to bring people together - straightforward, spontaneous, immediate, NOW! Whether you are looking for someone to talk to, want to play frisbee in a park or want to have a quick coffee with someone new. With Impluse it is possible to reach spontaneous people around you.
Our Motivation is to counteract the anonymous sentiment of big cities and bring people together in urban areas - without effort. Because of the swift and spontaneous character of Impulse there is no need for the user to create a profile with personal information. Just start searching!
Progress / Functionality
The core functionality of Impulse: You can search for people close to you select the type of meetup you want. You can choose between "having a talk" and "doing an activity". A meetup encloses many different ideas like going to the movies, do sports or having lunch. You can also type in an optional text with a short description of yourself, the activity or your plans.
Other users then will be notified and can decide if they would like to spontaneously meet up with you. If the partner agrees both will be getting a rough distance information to find each other.
The usability of Impulse is astonishing. Impulse gurantees a one-click experience. You can start without many choices, questions, or tedious login-screens. The main functionality of the app is not hidden in submenues or an distracting design.
Summary / Outlook
Impulse on its own is a powerful tool to revolutionize sozial interaction in the urban environment. It can be an impetus for acquaintances, great friendships or even partnerships. The user decides what emerges from a meeting.
Impulse can be modified to be even more integrated in the context. You can broadcast ideas or spontaneous suggestions like having a coffee-break with your coworkers in your surroundings. There is also the possibility to create "Hotspots" where potentially are a lot of Impulse users and meet-ups happen more frequently. This creates opportunities to work together with businesses and creating an even greater use of Impulse.