The Owl Speaker and the Meeting Owl Pro
The Meeting Owl 3 from Owl Labs of Somerville, Massachusetts is an attractive grey cylindrical device featuring a 360deg HD 1080p camera and three speakers tucked within. Controls and connections are located discreetly at its base for convenient use.
Konishi’s experiment examined whether barn owls use either intensity or phase methods of sound detection for sound location purposes, with results favoring phase over intensity as a method for sound recognition. The former method did not produce favorable results.
Features
The Owl Speaker is a Bluetooth-enabled owl-shaped speaker with high-quality 360o video and audio, perfect for conference calls, music streaming, hands-free phone calls with other Owl Speakers or smartphones, hands-free calls between other Owl Speakers or smartphones, long battery life that recharges quickly, as well as being compatible with Planet Buddies speakers to create a surround sound experience.
The upgraded Meeting Owl Pro features a two times sharper camera with 1080p resolution, capable of zooming in on people within a 10-foot radius. Compatible with popular video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams; designed by engineers from iRobot engineers to engage remote team members during meetings by automatically focusing on who is speaking while filtering out background noise – plus providing panoramic views of rooms!
At any point during a video conference, Meeting Owl Pro will automatically focus on and zoom into whoever is speaking and ensure everyone can see them clearly. Additionally, its built-in noise suppression can block out background noise such as fan noise or monitor hum. When new speakers join a meeting, Meeting Owl Pro frames them separately to preserve an unobstructed viewing experience for everyone in attendance.
Start meeting by plugging the Meeting Owl into both power and USB, selecting your video conferencing platform of choice, and starting the meeting. Pair up two Owls via Owl Connect app wirelessly connecting them and expanding video/audio range; once connected they will also automatically update firmware over WiFi ensuring that you always have access to the latest and greatest functionality.
To help the Meeting Owl autofocus on you, speak consistently and avoid too many pauses in class. Otherwise, an extended 3-5 second wait could ensue for it to pick back up where it left off again if a pause does occur; for more tips and techniques please see the Meeting Owl Pro Knowledge Base articles and Owl Connect Help Guides.
Design
Employers that support hybrid working models have seen hybrid technology become an invaluable asset, enabling remote workers to collaborate efficiently with office-based colleagues. That is where Owl Labs’ Meeting Owl comes in; an Wi-Fi enabled combination of 360deg conference camera, microphone array and speakers compatible with video conferencing platforms like Skype, Microsoft Teams and Zoom.
This portable speakerphone features a compact footprint for easy tucking away in any office environment. Plus, its charming little owl face adds personality and hoots when connected, adding character and charm to teleconference calls.
The Meeting Owl Pro is an upgrade on the original model released in 2018. Its main feature is smart framing that automatically zooms in on speakers during video calls and shows their image larger and clearer than that of everyone else in a meeting, ensuring everyone knows who’s speaking and ensures no one feels left out of a conversation.
Other key features include active sound cancellation, designed to reduce echo during video calls and enable participants to hear each other more clearly, as well as dynamic zooming for attendees to see all participants at meetings rather than only partial faces.
Installation is straightforward with just a USB connection to your desktop computer, whereupon it automatically loads drivers and begins operating. All that remains to configure it as your input device in video conferencing platforms of choice; after which, download and install the Owl app to manage settings, connect to wireless networks for updates, and view meeting analytics.
The Owl app allows users to choose the central focus of a 360-degree panoramic view, lock and follow an individual during meetings, pair with another Owl for presentation of both feeds simultaneously to attendees, set passcode-protected access control and add second microphone for audio pickup from across the room – as well as offering meeting stats such as how often each participant spoke up and when they began speaking up! In its dashboard you will also find meeting statistics such as when each participant started speaking up.
Audio
The Meeting Owl Pro is a camera, microphone and speaker system designed to bring remote workers into video conference meetings in ways traditional webcams cannot. Compatible with Zoom, Skype, Google Meet and other platforms – like Zoom Meetings – this plug-and-play device connects quickly with computers; just select it as the input/output device when setting up video conferencing software and it takes care of the rest! Taking shape like an owl’s face it lets users feel part of the discussion from distant locations while looking like it! It looks just like its namesakes!
The Meeting Owl is about the size and shape of a medium vase, featuring an ergonomic cylindrical body which tapers slightly at its top. Equipped with a 360deg HD video camera, eight omnidirectional beam-forming microphones and three speakers which distribute sound around a room, its controls and connections are conveniently situated on its base: volume/microphone mutes buttons as well as Presenter Enhance toggle switch as well as USB and power ports; it even comes equipped with a screw mount for secure standing on tripods or other mounting surfaces!
During a Zoom call, the Owl’s camera displays a panoramic view of the room at the top of the screen and automatically focuses on speakers as they speak. If multiple people are speaking simultaneously, an Owl split screen will display participants to make conversation easier to follow. Furthermore, its microphones are able to identify speaker voices and focus exclusively on them for optimal audio quality and clarity.
The Meeting Owl can also pick up sound from other parts of a room, enabling it to act as a microphone extender in larger classrooms. With a video range that extends up to 30 feet and compatibility with any conference call software, setting it up and managing it are quick and straightforward – no special drivers are necessary; updates occur quickly while management tools allow remote users to easily update or troubleshoot updates or issues quickly and conveniently.
Connections
The Meeting Owl Pro is an all-in-one camera, microphone and speaker system designed to enhance hybrid meetings by engaging remote participants more fully. Compatible with video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams and Blackboard Collaborate as well as audio-only tools like Kaltura Classroom; its built-in intelligence system uses vision and voice detection technology to auto shift camera shots when someone speaks up in meetings.
The Owl can be used with any computer, tablet, or smart phone running an approved video conferencing application. Simply plugging it into a USB port on your computer and connecting via Bluetooth with its free Meeting Owl app on a phone, iPad, Mac or PC will have you up and conferencing within minutes! With 1080p output resolution for sharp, clear panorama video and eight microphones to capture sound up to 18 feet all directions; its beamforming technology automatically adjusts focus towards who’s speaking while noise and echo cancellation ensure you hear only your team mates instead of air conditioning!
Position the Meeting Owl within 18 feet (6m) of any in-room participants for an optimal experience in small huddle rooms with two to four people. You can expand its coverage using OWL Connect or extension microphones by linking two Owls together; once connected to the host computer it will emit an audible hoot upon power up/initialization and should automatically appear as Camera, Microphone and Speaker in video conferencing software applications (if not already done so automatically).
For additional features available with the Meeting Owl app or to control its automatic functions, download it on your phone, tablet or PC from either Google Play, Apple App Store or Microsoft Windows Store. It can be controlled independently of any computer you are presenting from or paired up with another Owl to control both.
McMaster University boasts an inventory of Meeting Owls that are available for staff, faculty, instructors and TAs to borrow at Mills Library and Thode Library service desks. If you would like to reserve one of these Meeting Owls at a specific time and date please complete and submit the Meeting Owl Request Form.