During TEDxEde 2016, so-called Twitter Sentiment Buttons will be used. The Twitter Sentiment Button is a wearable Internet of Things device, which makes the “tone of voice” of tweets literally visible.
The Button can be set to certain hashtags or a Twitter handle. Through a Cloud service, all incoming tweets are then linguistically analyzed in real time. The Cloud software will then rank them according to 5 emotion types from the Big 5 Personlity model.
These rankings are then displayed every minute on the Button worn by the host. Also by some key figures of the organization who are visibly present. The sentiment becomes visible by means of the 24 LEDs that take on a different circular color pattern every minute, depending on the analyzed sentiment.
This is explained in the diagram below. The expectation is that in a crazy TEDxEde 2016 the colours Purple, Yellow and Red will be most visible.
There are a total of 4 Buttons available. Wearing them visibly can be used during the event itself to show how the participants and Twitter followers experience this day.
The software technology is provided by IBM with their Watson Cloud services. The whole is put together by ICR3ATE | Digital Makers Lab from Ede/Wageningen. Both companies are present and will be happy to explain this unique Button and the underlying technology.
In the Netherlands, this button was used at Startup Fest Europe this spring. Outside the Netherlands, SxSW2016 is a nice example.