From the Lecture Hall to the Door: Students Develop a Wireless Smart Door Sign for Room Management

Five students in the bachelor's program in Electrical Engineering at KIT have developed a smart electronic door sign as part of a project at ITIV. They were supervised by Dr.-Ing. Jens Becker and Dr.-Ing. Tanja Harbaum.

The resulting prototype operates entirely wirelessly: a rechargeable battery powers the energy-efficient E-Ink display, while communication takes place via Wi-Fi. In the future, the system is intended to be connected to Outlook to automatically display room occupancy and enable last-minute room reservations by authorized users. The demonstrator’s housing was manufactured using 3D printing.

Particularly noteworthy is the strong team effort of the five students, who jointly developed the hardware and software and integrated them into a fully functional system. Close collaboration and a clear division of tasks were key factors in the project’s success.

Following the successful presentation at ITIV, a long-term test and the development of a web interface are now on the agenda. The system’s energy efficiency, in particular, continues to play an important role in this process.

The ITIV considers this project an exceptionally successful example of the capabilities of bachelor’s students. The prototype demonstrates what can be achieved through initiative, team spirit, and the integration of various engineering disciplines.