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The Meeting Owl Pro is an all-in-one camera, speaker, and microphone device which can be used for academic videoconferencing, including in JayFlex course design. The Meeting Owl Pro can be used with any videoconferencing software, including Microsoft Teams or Zoom.
What can the Meeting Owl Pro do?
The Meeting Owl Pro will track speaking participants throughout the room and display the speaking participants over videoconference. Remote participants, including students taking courses off-campus, will be able to see a 360-degree view of the room at all time and paned views of speaking participants.
- To view a brief video demonstration of this device in action, click here.
What is this device's ideal use?
This device is intended to be used for JayFlex courses in which students are attending both on-campus and off-campus or out-of-room. The device can capture conversation and lecture audio and video.
Can this device be used for lecture only? What if I don't want it to "track" speaking participants?
If you download the Meeting Owl app for iPhone or Android, the Owl's position can be locked in place. You will need to have Bluetooth turned on on your phone to use this app.
- To download the smartphone app, click here.
- Information about the "lock" app feature can be found here.
I use a blackboard or whiteboard often when I teach. Can the Meeting Owl capture what I'm writing?
The Meeting Owl is not designed to capture and transmit written or print material from a distance. Academic Technology does not recommend using this device, or other webcam solutions, to transmit blackboard or whiteboard writing during videoconference. The VZ-R document camera is a better solution for capturing this instructional style.
- More information about the VZ-R document camera can be found here.
How do we interact with the Meeting Owl?
The Meeting Owl is designed to interact with you. However, faculty and students should stand as close to the device as is possible, speak loudly, slowly, and clearly at all times, and direct their voices towards the device when speaking. This device can be moved to ideal locations throughout a classroom so long as it remains plugged in to its necessary endpoints.
Setting up the Meeting Owl Pro
- Read this QuickStart guide and watch this brief setup demonstration video before operating the Meeting Owl Pro.
- Plug the device into power and connect to an open USB port on an in-room computer. If a podium computer is available, you may have a better experience using this computer.
- Once the Owl’s eyes stop pulsing, and you hear a hoot, your Meeting Owl is ready to use.
- Ensure that the Owl is placed near where you will be speaking, and central to in-room participants. You may need to move the Owl to capture sound and video optimally.
- Choose a videoconferencing software tool. Open that software on the computer, and select the Meeting Owl Pro device for all inputs: camera, microphone, and speaker. Please note that you will not be able to use room speakers while using the Meeting Owl Pro.
- Printouts of these classroom setup instructions are available in campus learning spaces.
Selecting the Meeting Owl in Microsoft Teams
After beginning a Teams Meeting, select More options 
> Show device settings 
in your meeting controls bar near the bottom of your window. Then, select the Meeting Owl Pro from the dropdown lists, on the right side of your screen, for the speaker, microphone, and camera.
- Visit these links for complete instructions for using the Meeting Owl for Teams on Windows, or for Teams on Mac.
Selecting the Meeting Owl in Zoom
- Complete instructions for selecting the Meeting Owl device in Zoom can be found here.
