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Smart Insect Hotel, companion app and urban garden ecosystem
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Insects Hotel

An interactive micro-habitat to support insects in urban gardens

Insects Hotel is an Arduino-powered micro-habitat designed to support pollinators in home gardens. By sensing moisture, temperature and light, it maintains suitable living conditions for insects and encourages people to care for their local ecology.

MY ROLEInteraction Designer
Creative Technologist
SKILLSResearch
UI/UX
Physical Computing
PROJECT TYPEProduct Design
Physical Interaction
Sustainable Design
TIMELINESep 2020—Dec 2020
Refined Nov 2025
A maintained urban garden

Urban gardens often appear green, but they lack ecological diversity. Without insects—especially pollinators—plant growth becomes unstable and ecosystems break down.

Research

The Decline of Urban Biodiversity

Despite the growing number of urban and home gardens, urban biodiversity continues to decline. Many city gardens appear green and well-maintained, yet they often lack ecological diversity and functional habitats. Without insects—especially pollinators and decomposers—plant growth becomes unstable, food webs break down and ecosystems lose resilience.

High rates of family gardening do not necessarily translate into healthier environments. Ornamental planting, pesticide use and “clean” landscaping frequently eliminate the conditions insects need to survive. The issue is not simply a lack of green space, but a lack of insect-aware garden design and ecological understanding.

Conceptual trend showing declining insect populations over time

How Insects Benefit a Home Garden

Diagram showing relationships between plants, insects and people

User Needs & Behavioral Challenges

Finding

People want healthy gardens but lack ecological knowledge.

Kids love nature, but learning often feels “boring.”

User motivation drops when feedback is invisible.

Opportunity

Supportive micro-ecosystems are rarely built correctly.

Interaction must be playful and rewarding.

Users require visible indicators of impact.

Ecological Research — What Do Insects Need?

Insect species paired with suitable nesting materials

Environmental Features That Support Insect Life

Environmental factors including light, sound, temperature and moisture

Design

The physical habitat, sensing system and mobile experience were developed together. Garden conditions become readable data, while the habitat gives insects species-appropriate places to shelter.

Userflow

Userflow connecting garden health, insects, sensors and the mobile app

Storyboard

Storyboard of the Insects Hotel experience

Arduino Prototype

Arduino prototype with sensors, circuit diagram and code

Product Sketching

Product sketches for the Insects Hotel

Physical Prototype

Final insect hotel structure and species-specific habitatsPhysical Insects Hotel prototype shown from multiple views

CMF

Habitat material studies and product elevationsComparison of recycled and natural habitat materials

App Interface

Insects Hotel onboarding screens

Understanding your garden to attract the right insects

Through a short onboarding assessment, the system learns about the user’s garden size, type and goals. Based on the results, Smart Insect Hotel recommends what kind of structure and habitat setup is most suitable for attracting specific species. This helps users make informed ecological decisions from the beginning rather than relying on guesswork.

Environmental adjustment and insect attraction screens

Adjust environmental conditions to attract different insects

The homepage displays adjustable factors including moisture, light, temperature and habitat conditions. The interface immediately shows which insects are likely to be attracted, clarifying the cause-and-effect relationship between environmental changes and insect activity.

Daily tasks, insect collection and photo identification screens

Learn while interacting—no fear of the unknown

Daily tasks and a built-in insect knowledge base encourage users to learn through hands-on actions. Photo identification helps people recognize insects in their garden, reducing uncertainty and fear without requiring prior biological knowledge.

Smart Insects Hotel installed in a home gardenA thriving garden supported by the Insects Hotel system
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