Smart Restaurant Interactive signage workshop in 🇨🇲
Recently, at the Orange Digital Center in Cameroon, we organised a hands-on workshopwe hosted an intensive, hands-on workshop focused on “Smart Restaurant Interactive Signage.” In partnership with Plastibyte, Robotsave, Hardware Innovation Valley, and Tme Education, we empowered local makers to compete in the global Seeed Studio Make a Sign – Interactive Signage Contest 2026.
This challenge asks a vital question: How can small hardware solutions reshape physical dining spaces? The goal is to move beyond static menus and basic touchscreens to create data-driven, context-aware signs that use gesture controls, touchless interfaces, and sustainable materials to actively improve restaurant operations.
The 5-Day Innovation Journey
Day 1: Hands-On Foundations: A rapid-fire intensive day where participants explored modern development boards and sensors. They learned to integrate Seeed ePaper Displays (using platforms like SenseCraft HMI), Grove Vision AI cameras, and the powerful Xiao ESP32S3 to jump-start their competition prototypes.
- Days 2-5: Bringing Concepts to Life: Four days of dedicated building, where makers used Seeed Studio’s hardware tools to transform raw ideas into fully functional, real-world concepts.
Skills Mastered by Our Makers
- Rapid hardware prototyping for commercial readiness
- Embedded systems utilizing the Xiao ESP32 architecture
- Interactive displays and smart, touchless interfaces
- Computer vision fundamentals and Edge AI applications
- Voice interfaces and seamless IoT connectivity
Meet the Cameroonian Submissions
After days of intense collaboration, our participants teamed up to submit four incredible projects to the global contest, which currently features over 50 innovative entries from 14 different countries.
ClockPulse Menu / Chameleon Signage by Fanka Elvis Nfor (Project ISC039):
Aurara Kitchen – A touchless restaurant menu by Mbah Matt-Klaus Mushi (Project ISC041). This directly addresses the contest’s call for hygienic, touch-free interaction:
VERT (Versatile Eco-farming Robotic Technology) by Musi Princess-Shanelle Eneck (Project ISC042):
- EPOD Sign by Tambu Precious Takum (Project ISC044):
The Stakes: Why This Matters
The top 50 projects will advance to a professional jury panel, where they will be judged on real-world impact. The judges are looking for Business Potential (30%) can it be scaled in real restaurants?and Replicability (30%) can others easily rebuild the code and hardware?
The grand prize winner takes home $1,000 in cash, plus a $1,000 travel grant to showcase their creation at Maker Faire Shenzhen in November 2026! There is also a free co-create service offered to winners to help turn their prototypes into real, mass-produced products.
Help Our Makers Advance: How to Vote
We encourage you to support the projects you genuinely want to see go further!
- Each eligible participant has exactly 5 votes.
- Votes must be distributed to 5 different projects (you may include your own).
- You may only submit your votes once.
- Deadline: Voting closes on September 15, 2026 (for the semi-final community round).
- Bonus: YouTube likes on project videos make up 1/3 of the public voting weight—so hitting “Like” directly helps the creators!
What Happens Next?
Once the community voting round closes, the participant voting scores (which carry 2/3 of the weight) and public YouTube engagement metrics (1/3 of the weight) will be combined. The Top 50 projects will advance to the final jury evaluation in early September.
Big thanks to Plasticbytes, Robotsave, Orange Digital Centre Buea Cameroon, Hardway Community and the participants for being part of this workshop.
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