Dr. Somayeh Kafaie and John Read, CEO and Founder, Fundy Language Analytics
Strollopia, a virtual tour guide designed to help locals and visitors explore using their phone, is an interactive, community-driven app.
Its creator, Fundy Language Analytics Inc., specializes in artificial intelligence and machine learning for language applications. They found that keeping these maps current and engaging was a challenge, as manual updates are time-consuming and costly, especially for smaller communities.
When Fundy Language Analytics presented their challenge to Dr. Somayeh Kafaie a Professor in Mathematics and Computer Science, it was a perfect match for her expertise.
The research team utilized Large Language Models to engage visitors at geographic locations, sparking dialogues that generate user-driven insights. These insights are then transformed into map content, making the maps more dynamic and reflective of real experiences. The research expanded into AI-driven content generation, using real visitor impressions to create map content. The impressions were analyzed, stored, and curated by the map administrator for potential publication.
“Working with Professor Kafaie and Saint Mary’s University has been extremely rewarding for our company,” said John Read, CEO and Founder, Fundy Language Analytics. “Dr. Kafaie’s team brings a great deal of experience and enthusiasm to the project, and together we are making great progress on our research topic in AI and diverse uses of the technology for our business.”
With AI-powered tools like Strollopia, Fundy Language Analytics is paving the way for enhanced travel experiences, where visitors and local insights help shape the very maps they use.
The Office of Innovation and Community Engagement (OICE) at Saint Mary’s University facilitates research partnerships between the University and companies, government departments and community organizations. OICE is the initial point of contact for faculty members and external partners wishing to collaborate. The office assists with finding suitable expertise, contract development and advising on funding opportunities.
This project highlight is from the 2025 OICE Report, which features researchers from Saint Mary's University and their external partners.