
My office had a problem: Our high-walled
cubicles and various telework schedules
made it difficult to know when someone was
at their desk. We’d barge in and interrupt Zoom
meetings, or see an empty seat and wonder if the
person was coming back soon or working from
home. In some companies, hackers build network
gadgets that light up to show their Microsoft
Teams status (available, away, or busy), but our IT
department prohibits networked peripherals. So,
I bought a bunch of Japanese action figures and
added LEDs, lasers, and a switch. If the light’s off,
we’re teleworking. Red means away or busy, and
green means come on in.
1. Choose your char ...