CHALLAU
We are the company behind Challau, an interactive live streaming platform that lets you discover and virtually experience remote destinations around the world at the click of a button. Challau gives you the power to remotely control tour guides called Scouts, and explore locations as you desire in real-time. You can control the direction and motion of your Scout through an on-screen controller using your computer or smartphone, and interactively experience far away places as if you were actually there. Challau Scouts are waiting to welcome you to busy city centres, crowded markets, famous plazas, and historic monuments from around the world.
How it Works
The Challau platform is made up of three core components, Portals, Scouts and the Link Station. Portals are locations which you can explore. Scouts are remote tour guides whom you can control. The Link Station is a mechanism to let multiple users concurrently experience a Portal location in real-time as well as control the Scouts through turn-taking.
PORTALS
Portals represent different physical locations across the globe. You can browse through Portals and select which one you want to explore. Once you have chosen your Portal, you can Enter it when it becomes Active, without any pre-booking. Portals have a timer countdown showing when they will become Active.
SCOUTS
We have appointed a Scout at each Portal location. The role of the Scout is to precisely follow the remote control commands being given by Challau users. You can control the Scout using your on-screen controller with commands such as ‘Go’ , ‘Stop’ ‘Turn Left’ and ‘Slight Right’. Your remote commands are transmitted to the Scout in real-time and the Scout will follow them.
LINK STATION
When you Enter an Active Portal, you will see a first-person view from the Scout’s live video stream. If the Scout is already being controlled by another user, you will wait to take your turn to control the Scout at the ‘Link Station’. You will be kept informed of the estimated wait time for your turn and how many users are ahead of you in the queue. You will continue to see the Scout’s live video while you are waiting.
What Challau Offers
Challau is made for tourists, explorers and gamers. Our platform lets you virtually transport yourself around the world – whether it’s to learn about places, to wander, or to play real-life games remotely in another country. Challau opens up new possibilities for unique online experiences that haven’t existed before.
Tourism
Observe unique people and cultures and learn about their history, architecture and fascinating traditions.
Exploration
Discover more places around the world. Hop between different Portals and experience the freedom to be anywhere.
Gamified Experiences
Turn your Scout into a real-life game character and go on quests, enriched by augmented reality.
Getting Started
Challau works on your smartphone or computer without needing to download an app or installing any software. The entire platform runs on your existing web browser through the Challau website.
What you'll need
You will need a smartphone or computer and a fairly good internet connection to best enjoy Challau. For Android Smartphones, open the Challau website (www.challau.com) using the Chrome browser. For IPhones, open the website using Safari Browser. For desktop users, we recommend using Chrome browser.
New Features
Many new features are regularly being introduced to Challau. A few of our upcoming features include: real-time map views of Scout locations, touristic information about the Portals, and interactive Quests which we have designed to help users explore interesting landmarks.
What's available
Challau currently offers a variety of Portal locations in UK. We are expanding our Portals to a range of destinations throughout the UK and internationally soon.
Pricing
The service is currently free to use since it is in Beta mode. The commercial version of Challau will be a paid service.
Robo-Scouts
We are building a robotic and automated Scout for new types of unique experiences on Challau
What is a Robo-Scout
Robo-Scouts are autonomous robots designed for geo-fenced tourist sites rather than busy public places. These Robots, equipped with Pan-Tilt-Zoom cameras, will let users explore locations through a 360 degree zoom-able view. Robo-Scouts will offer an all-day long service at such tourist sites.
Where will these be deployed
Unlike Challau Scouts who are tour guides appointed to Portals in public areas such as city centres, pedestrianised environments, bazaars etc, Robo-Scouts will be deployed at private tourist sites such as Zoos, Museums and Botanic Gardens.
When can users try Robo-Scouts
We are developing and testing prototype versions of Robo-Scouts. The first Robo-Scout has been Beta-tested in the UK since September 2020. During these tests, members of the public from around the world 'Beamed' into and remotely piloted the Robo-Scout to explore a park.
How does it work
Robo-Scouts are powered by Propelmee's Artificial Intelligence, Scene Perception, Mapping, Localization, Navigation and Autonomous Control Software. Robo-Scouts are fitted with sensors for collision avoidance and are designed to operate in challenging weather conditions.
Leadership Team
Get to know the people behind Challau
Founder & CEO
Muhammad Zain Khawaja
- Business, Technology & Product Lead
- MEng University of Oxford
- AI & Computer Vision Expert
- Software engineer at UK’s first driverless car start-up
- Lead technical investigator for UK Govt Funded Project on real-time sensor data communication using wireless networks
CO-FOUNDER & coo
Sabdezar Ilahi
- Leads Service Delivery & Service Operations
- BBA, MBA & CFA
- Financial Analyst at – Jardine Fleming, BOA, Merrill Lynch
- Co-Founder Market Research Start-up Versatile Research Systems, grew team to over 80, managed operations across 21 cities, secured blue-chip clients such as Nestle and Coca-Cola
Cco
Moeen Ashfaq Khawaja
- Leads Commercial & Business Operations
- BSc EE, MBA, MSc Psy
- Director EMEA Orbcomm, Director SprintPCS, OP JS Private Equity, COO Himex, Co-Founder COO IoT start-up in London
- Led numerous IoT projects funded by UK Govt and EU Horizon 2020 for connected devices
- Spearheaded development and launch world’s first mobile picture messaging service
CTO
Dr David Clarence Nam
- Leads Robotic, Autonomous & Edge Technologies
- PhD Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Post-Doc at Cranfield Centre for Electronic Warfare
- Author on >15 academic papers/conference proceedings – IEEE
- Lead technical investigator for multiple Govt Funded Civilian and Military Projects
