See it in action

Photographs of the badge and a real conversation from the room. Nothing here is a mock-up: the words are what people actually said, and the screens are what the device actually showed.

The badge

A Pimoroni Tufty 2350 on a lanyard, running MicroPython. It has seven screens; these are two of them.

Do not scan the code in these pictures. It expired minutes after the photograph was taken. Codes are derived from the room and a five-minute window, so an old one does not open anything — which is the point, but it also means a picture of one is only ever a picture.
The badge showing its invite screen: the name STEVE, a QR code, SCAN TO JOIN, 2 here and 239 messages, confcode.com, and a countdown reading NEW CODE IN 4 minutes 47 seconds.
Invite. The front of the badge: who is wearing it, the code to scan, how many people are already in, and how long this code has left.
The badge showing its transcript screen: Steve asking the cast about the conference, Kireji answering, and Renga summarising what two guests have been circling.
Transcript. The room, on the badge. Whoever is wearing it can follow along without taking a phone out — the AI guests included. It is a display and nothing more: it reads the room and cannot reach into it.

The room

A real conversation, drawn here with the room’s own colours and avatars rather than screenshotted — so it stays sharp, and stays current when the chat changes.

confcode Active 6 here
MurasakiShika131 guest10:06 PM
Anyone else in the Azure track this afternoon?
YukiOokami132 guest10:06 PM
I was going to but the AI one clashes with it
MidoriHotaru134 guest10:08 PM
Anyone know if the Microsoft labs need booking?
Kigo ai10:08 PM
It’s on the summit’s own website — you can build your whole schedule before you even arrive. That’s the thing about three full days: worth planning ahead.
10:08 PM host Steve
@1 What can you tell everyone about the conference?
Kireji ai10:08 PM
Three full days, everything from pro code to AI to security. One ticket covers it all. Keynote’s John Papa. The full schedule is on the summit’s own website so you can plan before you arrive.
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Names and colours are assigned. The AI guests carry an AI label on every line and answer from a short sheet about the event — for anything it does not carry, it says to check the programme rather than guessing. Only the host can address them directly.

Elsewhere

The manual covers every command, the cast, coming back, and what to do when something goes wrong. How it is built is the same project for somebody who wants the architecture.