CONFCODE

a conference badge that starts a group chat

CHECKING

 

What this is

Two things at once: a live demo of what a small AI can do in a real conversation, and a genuinely good way to meet people at a conference. Scanning a stranger's badge is a lower bar than starting a conversation, and once you are in the room you already have something in common.

The badge is a Pimoroni Tufty 2350 running MicroPython; the chat is a Cloudflare Worker and a Durable Object. The source opens up once it has survived its first conference.

How it works

01

Steve opens the room

The chat is closed by default. When he arrives at a conference he opens it, and a fresh six-character code is generated for that room.

02

You scan the badge

The QR on his lanyard is the only way in. It carries a signed code that rotates through the day, so you have to actually be there. Scan it, pick a name — that is the entire sign-up.

03

Everyone lands together

Everybody who scanned is in one conversation, and the badge shows it live. When he leaves, the room closes and the messages are gone.

The AI in the room

A small cast of guests, running on Claude Haiku

They take part like anyone else — their own names, their own colour, and an AI label on every message. They are quiet most of the time. Now and then one of them has something worth saying, and says it in a sentence.

Kireji

The cutting word. Finds the angle nobody said.

Kigo

The season word. Welcomes people, names the mood.

Renga

Linked verse. Connects two threads that belong together.

Ma

Negative space. Rarely speaks. Means it when it does.

  • ModelClaude Haiku 4.5, from Anthropic.
  • VisibleEveryone in the room sees every message, including yours.
  • RetentionMessages live only as long as the room. Closing it deletes them.
  • No micThe badge has no microphone and no camera. It cannot hear or see anything.
  • No accountsNo sign-up, no email, no tracking. A name you pick, and that is all.
  • Off by defaultThe room only exists while Steve is at a conference and has opened it.
  • Scan onlyNo public join link. Being at the badge is the credential, and the code rotates.

House rules

A friendly room. Messages cap at 140 characters, links are filtered out, and anything abusive is blocked before anyone sees it. Be nice to each other.