Former UAH
associate education professor Dr. Philip Kovacs, left, and UAH assistant
professor of
English Dr. Ryan
Weber have launched a Kickstarter funding effort to further develop
their Complexity
Engine web search product. Michael Mercier / UAH
(August 19, 2015) The
developers of an educational Internet search engine that they say could
eventually revolutionize the search function have launched a Kickstarter
campaign to fund further refinements.
Dr. Philip Kovacs' company, Vastly Inc., is seeking $250,000
through Kickstarter for its Complexity Engine educational Internet search
engine, the patent-pending technologies for which are licensed from The
University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH).
Dr. Kovacs is a former associate education professor at UAH
who pioneered development of the technologies while at the university. His
collaborator, UAH Assistant Professor of English Dr. Ryan Weber, is managing
communications for the young company.
Complexity Engine uses a sophisticated algorithm to search
websites for content and delivers free, customized and age-appropriate reading
materials to a user's computer. In an educational setting, it promises to give
teachers, parents and students an efficient, affordable way to promote reading.
Teachers and administrators can set parameters for the search results, and the
reading experience can be either student self-directed or guided by the
teacher.