GrrCON

GrrCON 2024

The 2024 GrrCON edition in Grand Rapids whose public first-hand BadgeBuddy writeup and GitHub archive document an unofficial ESP8266 friend-distribution badge and companion backpack scoreboard.

Grand Rapids, Michigan · United States · 2024

GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy

BadgeBuddy was an unofficial GrrCON 2024 electronic badge built for roughly thirty friends, using an ESP8266 WiFi module, an 8x8 LED matrix, battery power, proximity scanning for other BadgeBuddy SSIDs, and a public code/wiring archive.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy source-backed

badge controller

ESP8266 BadgeBuddy core

The first-hand writeup and public firmware document an ESP8266 badge that advertises `BadgeBuddy` while scanning nearby WiFi networks.

Compatibility: GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy

GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy source-backed

badge display

8x8 LED matrix animation

The badge used an 8x8 LED matrix for bouncing-pixel animation and a falling-code pattern once enough nearby BadgeBuddy networks were detected.

Compatibility: GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy

GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy source-backed

build method

Header-and-socket construction

The component notes describe socketed LED matrices and ESP8266 modules, header-pin quantities, 3xAA battery testing, USB power as a fallback, and a stated USD 9.44 per-badge cost.

Compatibility: GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy

GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy source-backed

companion conference device

Backpack of Shame companion

The same project archive includes a backpack-mounted open access point and four-matrix scoreboard that counted unique connecting clients during the conference.

Compatibility: GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy social experiment

GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy source-backed

social badge behavior

WiFi proximity counter

BadgeBuddy counted unique nearby BadgeBuddy BSSIDs every 30 seconds and adjusted the animation density to reflect nearby badges.

Compatibility: GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

missing rights-cleared image · local project policy · needs licensed original replacement

No GrrCON 2024 BadgeBuddy image is published because the current public source trail has not been paired with a reusable original badge or artifact photo or official upstream raster render with source URL, license or permission basis, attribution, and processing notes.

The United States record remains source-backed and image-free rather than copying source-page media, documentation screenshots, event photos, social media, placeholders, or generated approximations.

Resources

Sources