Thinkie Heats up at Redmond Derby Days
Over 2 hot days, we came away energized at the reception garnered by hundreds of folks interested in improving their cognitive health.
Redmond Derby Days is a free annual community gathering put on by the City of Redmond, WA for anyone and everyone, from anywhere. Activities consist of live music, artisanry showcases, bike parades for kids, and of course, a wealth of opportunities to tickle the palate. Sponsors are invited to fill in the City Hall Lawn and share their products and services with attendees.
This year, the Thinkie booth was paired with Steamoji, a maker academy for kids that trains builders, makers, inventors and entrepreneurs. Suffice to say, the combination of Thinkie System games and 3D-printed robots piqued the interest of more than a few attendees.
The event that kicked off Friday and went well into that night was followed by an early sunrise on Saturday, as is typical at our latitude. After the morning’s fire station-hosted pancake breakfast, children swarmed through closed city streets in anticipation of the coming bike parade. A gaggle of teenagers -- too cool for the kids’ parade but loath to be left out of the fun -- tracked close behind.
Families began filing onto the lawn next to City Hall where they encountered the Thinkie team at our stall. There, we discussed the importance of cognitive health with a very well-informed crowd. Many had elderly parents whose mental acuity was already of concern. Others were at or near retirement age and seeking to stay mentally fit to take advantage of the increase in human lifespan.
Numerous families trouped through, their children drawn to the familiar sight of app-based games and their parents looking for a way to actively take specific action in addressing their cognitive health.
Musicians on the main stage tuned up and started their sound checks. In the Thinkie booth it was standing room only as our team endeavored to answer questions at a sometimes-rapid-fire pace. Nearly everyone who visited was concerned with preserving and boosting their mental acuity, many mentioning elder family members as the impetus for their curiosity.
Questions ran the gamut, from the depth of research behind our games (created by neuroscientists to ensure consistent challenge) and proof of Thinkie’s impact on brain health (lower your brain age by 3+ years in 3 months’ time), to cost ($249 for the Thinkie Sensor and $14.99/month for access to the app), whether we are providing beta testing units (unfortunately, the program is currently closed), and when we will be launching to the public at large.
As our team guided dozens of demonstrations to people of all ages – from seniors to adults and their children – we learned just how important mental acuity is to this community of professionals, service workers and everyone in between. Adults' favorite brain training games were Symbol Tap and Number Tap, which sharpen processing speed, attention to detail and short-term memory. On the other hand, kids tended to gravitate towards memory-boosting games like Animal Nickname and Random Number Order.
Despite temperatures rising as the day wore on, spirits remained high – likely in anticipation of the evening’s drone show, put on by Verge Aero. Common visitor views on Thinkie included:
- "Looks like a fun activity"
- "I want to use it to improve my memory"
- "It is important to me to improve brain function"
- "This is a way to get my dad more active"
- "I'll use this to push myself and use my brain more!"
Finally, around 10pm and as the drone show kicked off, the team packed up and headed home, tired yet energized from the warm welcome we received.
If you missed out, you can still learn more about the extensive science behind Thinkie technology, and sign up for our waitlist.
Count on seeing us again next year!