IoT owl: soft tangible user interface for detecting the presence of people

Abstract

In this paper, we present the IoT Owl, which is the result of exploration of the use of textile materials as part of a visualization system. After hectic workshop days, our development team had several ideas to be prototyped. The IoT Owl is a prototype of a system that, via lighting and movement, displays the presence information from a sensor at a remote location, based on scan of available Bluetooth devices. It can be completely operated via Internet. The purpose of the IoT Owl is to help the user to avoid a rush hour in a chosen public space and meet the right people at the right time for example during lunch hours. The IoT Owl can calculate the crowd amount but it can also recognize familiar devices. We present a concept design for the device and create an initial prototype with features and technology in it.