Explore My World app for iPhone and iPad

Explore my world encourages toddlers and preschool children to engage their curiosity about their surrounding world. This easy-to-use app has both an intelligent camera and an intelligent microphone, which can be activated to view the written words for your child’s surroundings and for the speech that they say or they hear. The words are zoomed out and presented in a large and eye catching format to attract your child’s attention to the words and, therefore, create a more vivid experience, which will reinforce their learning to read the words. This is similar to how the child learns spoken language.

The app should be only used in landscape mode with the home button on the right. It opens on a home screen, and requires an internet connection. It should be noted that all interactions with the app are completely anonymous, and the internet access is solely for the purpose of automated image and speech recognition.

The home screen shows four buttons, which are guide, help, camera (see), and microphone (hear). Touching the guide button gives the instructions for using the app. The help button should be touched if you are having difficulty with the app.

The other two buttons on the home screen give pictures of a camera and a microphone. These two icons occur with the words see and hear. Here is a description of these two functions. When the picture of the camera is touched, the device enters the camera mode, which is similar to the Apple camera with a white circle on the middle right for taking a picture. The child explores their surroundings by looking through the screen of the tablet and searching for a scene to photograph. The child takes a picture by touching the white circle button on the right of the screen. Taking the picture puts the picture on the screen. Touching the Use Photo button accesses the internet to find word descriptors for the picture.

These written words are presented one at a time. Each printed word for the picture is presented on the screen in large lowercase letters, and the word is zoomed out (made larger) to capture the child’s attention. The spoken word accompanies the presentation of each written word, unless the speaker volume is turned to mute. The written word and picture stay on the screen, along with large say and new buttons that allow the child to hear the word pronounced or to generate a new word describing the picture. If the child touches the large left button that says say, the word is presented again. When the child touches the large button that says new, another word is presented. The child can continue with this picture, generating new words. When the best five descriptors have been presented, the new button will recycle through the words once again. At any time, touching the large return button on the top left of the screen returns the child to the home screen. Touching the Apple’s home button leaves the program and returns to Apple’s home screen.

hear
When the picture of the microphone is touched, the device shows a microphone and is in microphone mode. Touching one of the understand buttons changes the screen to red, which gives the instruction to start talking. The child, playmate, or caregiver says a phrase or sentence that will be automatically recognized. The screen also shows two done buttons, which should be touched when the person is done talking. The screen turns blue and presents the first word in the same manner as in the camera mode. The child touches the new button to see the next word and each additional word. By touching the say button, the child can have the word repeated. When all of the words in the utterance have been presented, the new button will recycle through the words once again. At any time, touching the large return button on the top left of the screen returns the child to the home screen.

It should be noted that the device does not permit any indecent or offensive words to be written on the screen or to be generated by the device.