I.C LEE
“Telepathy — It just knows.”
With real-time proximity awareness and personalized content display, Telepathy knows when someone approaches and shows just the right information — from warm greetings to targeted updates, all without needing to touch a thing. Blending playful charm with subtle intelligence, Telepathy feels more like a thoughtful presence than a screen. Whether in smart homes, offices, shops, or exhibitions, it creates meaningful, seamless connections.
Project Description
This project was born from a simple frustration: the digital world is rich with tailored experiences, but the physical world often remains disconnected, static, and impersonal. Despite the buzz around IoT and smart cities, few devices truly bridge the gap between online intelligence and our real-world environments. Telepathy was my attempt to close that gap — to create a device that turns presence into interaction, and proximity into connection.
My process began with a simple question: how can we make IoT devices feel more aware, more personal — almost like they understand us?
I explored wireless sensing with Bluetooth, developed a lightweight app in Swift, and embedded the logic into a Raspberry Pi system. The screen adapts in real time — showing greetings, dynamic content, or potential ads depending on who's nearby.
But more than just a tech demo, Telepathy points to broader applications — in smart retail, where it could deliver precise messaging and gather foot traffic insights, or in art installations, where it could generate media based on a viewer’s presence and profile. As generative AI continues to evolve, this system could one day tailor not just what is shown, but how it's created, in real time.
To me, good design doesn’t scream for attention — it quietly listens, adapts, and fits into life. Telepathy reflects that belief: a screen that doesn’t wait for you to touch it, but gently recognizes you, and responds.
Demo
How it works
Enter range: Up to 50 meters, depending on power and obstacles.
Device sends request: Once within signal range, the device sends a unique identifier.
Fetch User Data: Based on the ID, information can be requested from the backend service.
Generate Personal Content: Generate various types of content based on user data.
Update The Screen: Once the content is generated, update it on the screen.
Potential Use Cases
Business Applications
Targeted Advertising
Telepathy generates precise advertisements tailored to passersby.
Digital billboards display different ads based on the age and preferences of individuals walking by.
The system can produce the most effective advertisements by analyzing the demographics and preferences of the majority audience in the vicinity.
Crowd Analysis
Telepathy examines the composition of people at various locations.
It generates insightful reports on crowd demographics and behaviors.
This data can inform business decisions and space optimization.
Artistic Applications
Dynamic Art (Generative Visuals)
When individuals with different identities approach, the screen instantly generates unique "digital artwork."
This includes generating colors, lines, and particle effects based on names and preferences.
Personalized Mood Boards
The system automatically creates "personalized inspiration walls" for individuals.
These mood boards are tailored according to each person's profile, including interests and emotional states.
They serve as dynamic sources of inspiration customized to individual preferences.
