Every Airbnb Host Needs Ping

Royal College of Art graduate Kristian Knobloch has created a system of smartphone touchpoints that help Airbnb hosts offer guests extra information about their home. Ping consists of NFC-enabled modules that can be placed anywhere around a house. When visitors touch their phone against a module, it prompts a webpage on their mobile device, providing them with more details about their surroundings.

According to Knobloch, Ping is meant to serve as “a digital guide book for a more personal and interactive communication.” It allows hosts to share stuff about their residence in a quick and convenient way, when they are not present.

The modules can even play concierge, too — it lets a guest know where they should shop, pick up food, or grab the best cup of joe. What’s neat is that homeowners can even record video greetings or voice notes for more elaborate explanations of how things work.

With Ping, guests should never really have to bother a host with questions during their stay again. But just in case, they’re just a single tap away. While the system is currently based on NFC technology, Knobloch tells Dezeen thathe hopes to soon integrate Bluetooth beacons to make Ping compatible with iPhones.