Insects Hotel
Insects Hotel
Insects Hotel
An interactive micro-habitat to support insects in urban gardens
An Educational Ecosystem for community
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 Role
My Role
Creative Technologist
UI/UX Designer
Product Designer
Creative Technologist
UI/UX Designer
Product Designer
Skills
Skills
Expeience Design
Environmental Systems
Physical Computing
UX/UI Design
Research
Expeience Design
Environmental Systems
Physical Computing
UX/UI Design
Research
Project type
Project type
Sustainability Education
STEAM Toolkit
Product Design
Physical interaction
Sustainability Education
STEAM Toolkit
Product Design
Physical interaction
Timeline
Timeline
April 2020 - July 2020
Refine by:
March 2025 - April 2025
April 2020 - July 2020
Project Background
In recent decades, the rapid urbanization and use of chemical fertilizers have significantly disrupted the delicate relationship between insects and plants in residential areas. Insects such as bees, earthworms, and beetles play irreplaceable roles in pollination, soil health, and pest control—yet their habitats are being reduced or ignored in modern home gardening. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), over 40% of insect species face extinction within decades, threatening ecological resilience and food production.
Project Background
In recent decades, the rapid urbanization and use of chemical fertilizers have significantly disrupted the delicate relationship between insects and plants in residential areas. Insects such as bees, earthworms, and beetles play irreplaceable roles in pollination, soil health, and pest control—yet their habitats are being reduced or ignored in modern home gardening. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), over 40% of insect species face extinction within decades, threatening ecological resilience and food production.
Design Opportunity
This project reimagines the traditional insect hotel as an interactive, educational STEM device that engages users—especially children and beginners in urban gardening—to learn about biodiversity, gardening cycles, and sustainability. Through environmental sensors and digital feedback, users can observe how temperature, light, and humidity affect both insects and plant growth, fostering ecological awareness and scientific thinking.
Design Opportunity
This project reimagines the traditional insect hotel as an interactive, educational STEM device that engages users—especially children and beginners in urban gardening—to learn about biodiversity, gardening cycles, and sustainability. Through environmental sensors and digital feedback, users can observe how temperature, light, and humidity affect both insects and plant growth, fostering ecological awareness and scientific thinking.
Through identifying the gap in gardening knowledge among beginners and analyzing common challenges of home gardening, we discovered that insects are not only helpful but essential partners in a thriving garden. By making their contributions visible and understandable, this build up the fundamental research
Through identifying the gap in gardening knowledge among beginners and analyzing common challenges of home gardening, we discovered that insects are not only helpful but essential partners in a thriving garden. By making their contributions visible and understandable, this build up the fundamental research
Ideation & Concept Development
Based on the lifecycle of both plants and insects, we mapped out a sensor-supported system to visualize the environment's impact on growth and biodiversity.
Aligned with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 11, 12, 15), the Insects Hotel promotes hands-on STEM learning by integrating:
Environmental Monitoring (via Arduino sensors)
Ecological Literacy (through plant-insect relationships)
Behavioral Change (encouraging sustainable gardening practices)
Ideation & Concept Development
Based on the lifecycle of both plants and insects, we mapped out a sensor-supported system to visualize the environment's impact on growth and biodiversity.
Aligned with global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 11, 12, 15), the Insects Hotel promotes hands-on STEM learning by integrating:
Environmental Monitoring (via Arduino sensors)
Ecological Literacy (through plant-insect relationships)
Behavioral Change (encouraging sustainable gardening practices)
Prototyping with Arduino
We built a modular insect hotel using recycled materials. Embedded sensors track moisture, temperature, light, and nearby movement, paired with a buzzer to attract insects.
Prototyping with Arduino
We built a modular insect hotel using recycled materials. Embedded sensors track moisture, temperature, light, and nearby movement, paired with a buzzer to attract insects.
App Integration
A companion app visualizes real-time data, gives planting suggestions, provides insect identification, and guides users with seasonal tasks and reminders.
App Integration
A companion app visualizes real-time data, gives planting suggestions, provides insect identification, and guides users with seasonal tasks and reminders.
