AWS EBC

“We need a COVID safe, interactive display suite for our new Executive Business Center in Seattle.”

— Amazon Web Services

Hoverbar controller

  • Concept

    I conceptualized and invented the Hoverbar, a touchless, ADA compliant control interface with visual feedback.

    Swiping and holding your hand over the device would trigger any combination of content on the 6 panel display array.

  • R+D and Prototype

    I began engineering the Hoverbar by vetting a proximity sensor solution. I settled on Adafruit’s APDS9960, a robust sensor that could be daisy chained.

    After initial testing, I designed the hardware platform around an I2C communication solution and Adafruit’s Metro microcontroller platform.

  • Circuit and Logic

    I engineered the Hoverbar to feature a series of 32 proximity sensors, chained via 4 multiplexers, 60 RGB leds for visual feedback, connected to 2 networked microcontrollers.

    The first microcontroller would handle signal out to a server running TouchDesigner, which would in turn broadcast to the second microcontroller.

  • CAD Design

    I worked closely with the fabrication team to ensure the product’s electronics and wiring would conform to the desired casing.

    I designed the CAD for sensor mounting and oversaw the 3D printing of all internal mounting hardware.

  • Daily Use

    The Hoverbar works on two principles: hand position and time. Users hold their hand over the device to register an initial response. As they hold position, the screen updates to show engagement time.

    Holding long enough (about a second) will trigger the desired content. All user interactions are controlled similarly.

  • Portability

    The Hoverbar proved to be very successful in it’s location at the AWS Executive Business Center.

    We duplicated the device, and it travelled to CES 2022 to control part of the AWS CES booth experience.

Interactive Content

As lead engineer for the AWS EBC project, I worked closely with a team of designers and engineers to create the real-time interactive experience in TouchDesigner. The experience is driven by a cloud-based CMS, coupled to zones on a world map which users can explore.

Project highlights

2 experiences on 2 floors.

The 6th floor featured the Hoverbar experience. The 7th floor featured an Alexa-driven content showcase driven by high resolution video projection.

Deployment and integration.

I spent 10 days over 2 visits working closely with the AWS team and our internal production team ensuring all hardware and software worked as intended. I oversaw and facilitated employee training, and handled all troubleshooting and maintenance.

Remote development.

I developed and tested all Hoverbar hardware and software remotely, working closely with fabrication and production teams to facilitate hardware shipments and collaborative software development for the overall experience.