IOTable

Inspiration

Our main inspiration came from folding furniture that has been getting popular over the years. These products have been used as a way to overcome the problem of homes becoming smaller with land becoming scarce. However, such concepts have yet to be implemented into office spaces. Hot desking is the common solution that offices have been looking towards to solve their space constraints problems. However, it can be rather troublesome for the users to have to constantly bring their items around. Additionally, offices these days tend to work at 50% capacity due to covid restrictions. Thus, we draw inspiration from this context to come up with a new shared space concept for offices to deal with the problem of shrinking office space.

What it does

Using the concept of folding furniture, we present a shared cubicle concept where 2 people can share 1 cubicle space while still having their unique tables/spaces. This is complemented by an App and system that helps to facilitate the sharing of the shared cubicles, allowing users to schedule their use of the shared space and for the management to overlook the office space. The cubicles are also automated and aid the switching of tables.

How we built it

Hardware: The shelving table is made up of linkages and hinges. A motor is then attached at the base of one of the linkages to actuate the collapsing and opening system. The table is able to fold nicely into a covered shelf to retain items, removing the need for the user to pack up. Software: The minimum viable product is built using the the frontend framework React. The backend is powered by Express.js and Google Firebase. The IoT component of the IoTable is built using ESP32 hardware.

Challenges we ran into

We had to choose a suitable stack that supported bluetooth communications with external IoT devices attached to the tables.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We were able to quickly understand and apply the design of the folding table/shelf, as well as to curate a prototype on spot.

What we learned

In terms of software engineering, we learned that frameworks could be a double-edged sword. It is important to discern the best frameworks beforehand and check if the benefits of reducing boilerplate code could outweigh the setup time.

What's next for IOTable

Future plans include a booking system so employees can book tables in advance Making the whole table shelf a portable system, for revamping office seating plans and layout when required.