Gooey Wi‑Fi: You can access this only if you squeeze a banana
Each desk has a unique Wi‑Fi password that a visitor needs to access the Internet. This desk has a unique Wi‑Fi that can only be accessed by pressing a banana. Yes, you read that right! You need to zip the banana to get access to the client network at this desk.
The system was designed by Danish network engineer Stefan Milo and was made by wiring a fruit to a Makey Makey board and a Raspberry Pi mounted on acrylic glass. According to Milo, the cost of this system is $100, but the fun it provides to visitors is immense.
The Register notes that this is perhaps the most original way of accessing Wi-Fi. Milo told the Register that most offices usually have a ticket system that prints a unique code for each visitor. Visitors must take the unique code required for access to the Wi-Fi network.
«When you go to $corp, and your receptionist gives you a small piece of paper that someone printed on A4, and then you spend time cutting it into pieces, I find it pointless,” explained. “Even if you have a small printer, you still need the receptionist, the printer installation, etc. And it still includes the paper – where are we? In 1999?”
Outraged by what he saw, Milo decided to design this original way to accessthe Wi-Fi. The plan is simple. When the banana is pressed by the guest who needs the Wi-Fi password, Milo's gadget is activated via the Makey Makey board. This activates the Raspberry Pi which will then display the password on its screen. The user then enters the password.
Milo said that his banana-system will be able to serve only five people per week, but with a simple file extension (and regular changes to the banana), the setup could run for many years, and host thousands of office visitors
“It’s important to me that technology is useful,” he said, “but if you can make people smile while they’re using it, then I’m happy to promote that.”
