WiSys Technologies

Single Sweep Whiteboard Eraser

WiSys is seeking a strategic partner skilled in the manufacturing and distribution of whiteboards who could provide a route to market for the commercialization and use of this single sweep whiteboard eraser.  The current prototype can be added to previously installed whiteboards, but with additional development could be incorporated into the whiteboard design as one complete package.

WiSys Technology Number: T180062
Patent Number: 11,312,174
Patent Filed: July 25, 2019
Patent Issued Date: April 26, 2022 (PDF)
Status
Patented
Stage of Development:

A single sweep whiteboard eraser has been developed that can be installed and retrofitted to any traditional whiteboard.  A stage 2 prototype, “1Swipe”, has been developed and tested in a University classroom setting.       

Overview

The most effective learning, ideation, and collaboration still occurs in physical spaces. Advancements in technology have allowed for sophisticated virtual education and office meetings, but many still prefer to gather in person when the group size exceeds just a few individuals.  Additionally, the recent quarantine and stay-at-home orders quickly revealed that the most active learning and the highest level of student participation stems from in-person instruction. 

In the classroom setting, while some interactive whiteboards and displays provide desirable features, the elevated cost, the difficult learning curve, and the requirement for skilled maintenance technicians has not allowed for their widespread use. Thus, educators at grade schools, colleges, and universities routinely instruct their students using large, traditional whiteboards that often occupy the majority of one or more walls.  Whether they are working through long complex mathematical equations, or they are writing down student responses during the discussion of a classic novel, the whiteboard is still an essential fixture in the classroom.  However, when transitioning between lessons or topics, these educators are forced to slowly clear the material from the board using a small handheld eraser.  This pause during the lesson allows for distraction and a loss of focus by the students.  As the market for traditional whiteboards continues to grow and learning environments continue to upgrade, an advancement is needed to provide instructors with a faster, superior way of erasing the board that ensures the students remain engaged.   

Invention

An Alumni from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville has developed a single sweep whiteboard eraser that can be installed and retrofitted to any traditional whiteboard.  Spanning the entire height of the board, this eraser can clear all written material in a single pass and in a fraction of the time it takes with a handheld eraser alone.  This eraser also has the capability to lift away from the board and relocate to any location while preserving any desired content during the transition.  As an example, an instructor can work in a left to right manner, lift the eraser, and return to the beginning to erase the oldest material while still allowing the students time to copy the newly written material.  Attached to the eraser is an added holder for markers and an additional holder for a small handheld eraser to fix minor mistakes.  This ensures anything the user needs will be nearby as they work across the board.  A stage 2 prototype, “1Swipe”, has been developed and tested in a University classroom setting.  

Applications and Key Benefits

  • Erases the entire contents of a whiteboard in a single sweep motion.
  • Considerably reduces the time spent erasing a whiteboard compared with a handheld eraser.
  • Useful in the classroom or workplace environment.
  • Fast and efficient erasing ensures students in a classroom will remain focused during lessons.
  • Smooth movement where eraser gently glides across the board with minimal pressure.
  • Eraser can lift away from the board and relocate to any position while preserving desired written material.
  • Device has an added holder for markers and a small handheld eraser to fix minor errors.
  • Eraser pad can be easily removed for cleaning or replacement.
  • The overall system can be retrofitted to any existing whiteboard or blackboard or developed to be sold as one complete package.

Testimonial

"I used the 1Swipe in one of my classes last semester. For the first several weeks, I would often forget it existed, being that it lived somewhat innocuously at the edge of the whiteboard. I almost always remembered to use it for the final clean of the entire board at the end of the lecture though. About midway through the semester I was getting better at making good use of the 1Swipe, and by the end of the semester, it became a seamlessly integrated part of my whiteboard instruction. I guess I hadn't quite realized how much a part of my teaching process it had become until this semester. I now teach in a bigger classroom with a wider whiteboard that does not have a 1Swipe, so I use a little handheld eraser, like everyone else. And everyday, I wish there was a 1Swipe here."

- Gokul Gopalakrishnan, Assistant Professor 

Institution
UW-Platteville UW-Platteville
Inventor
Caleb Dykema