SmartSeat: An IoT-Based Smart Seating Navigator and Digital Name Tag System for Large Events

About the Project

Finding seats at big events like graduation ceremonies, formal dinners, and business conferences is hard for the visitors. It is difficult for people to locate their tables by using paper maps, thus leading to long lines at the entrance and lots of ushers needed to direct them. In order to resolve this issue, we have designed SmartSeat—an IoT-based smart system connecting a user-friendly web platform and hardware devices for making seating fast and simple. The operation of SmartSeat is implemented via two easy procedures. At first, upon scanning their QR- code ticket at the entrance kiosk, the system sends a special message via the Wi-Fi and MQTT protocol to the ESP32 microcontroller placed on the guest's table. As a result, an LED lamp is activated on the chair, which helps the guest locate their table quickly at a great distance from it without any assistance. Secondly, a small digital screen (OLED/E-Paper display) on the desk or chair automatically displays the name of the guest and his or her status (VIP, etc.). In addition, replacement of physical tickets and maps on the floor, SmartSeat eliminates entrance congestion, saves time, saves on paper, and allows for easy reassignment of seats. In summary, SmartSeat is an efficient method of managing event seating