Meeting Owl (User Guide)

When to Use?

Users should use this guide for information, loaning, setting up, and issues with Meeting Owls. 

Table of Contents: 

• What is a Meeting Owl? 
• How to Loan
• Before the Event
• Setting Up Equipment 
• Questions/Issues

What is a Meeting Owl?

• A conference camera and mic. 
• Gives you the ability to create an immersive hybrid meeting experience in any space with the intelligent 360-degree camera, mic, and speaker. 
• Sits in the center of the room and intelligently zooms in on whoever is speaking for organized face-to-face interactions. 
• Can be used as the camera, mic, and speaker for Zoom meetings. 

How to Loan

• Putting in a Loan Request
  • Email it@gvsu.edu with the details of the request and a ticket will be created for you. 
  • Ideally need 1 weeks' notice to confirm the equipment is available for you to borrow. Last minute requests may not be possible with the limited number of loaners. 
  • Confirm if you will need an extension cord and/or a USB-C Adapter when submitting the loan request. 
    • The Meeting Owl needs to be plugged into a power outlet. An extension cord will be needed if the power outlet is further than about 5 feet from where the Meeting Owl will be. 
    • The Meeting Owl has a USB-C cable that needs to be plugged into the USB-C port of the computer the Owl will be connected to. If your computer does not have a USB-C port, a USB-C adapter will need to be requested.  
• Setting up Equipment
  • IT will schedule a technician to set up the equipment and show you how to use the equipment before the event. 
    • A user can pick up and set up the equipment themselves if they are comfortable. 
• Returning Equipment
  • IT will schedule a technician to pick up the equipment for you after the event. 
    • A user can tear down and return the equipment themselves if they are comfortable. 

Before the Event

1. Proactively download the Meeting Owl app before the event at www.owllabs.com/download on the computer that will be connected to the Meeting Owl and have the USB-C cable plugged into. 
2. Email (it@gvsu.edu) or call (616-331-2101) the IT Service Desk if you do not have admin rights to download the app on the GVSU computer. 
3. Confirm that you can log into the computer and that the latest updates have been applied on the computer that will be connected to the Meeting Owl before the event. 

Setting Up Equipment

1. To control the Meeting Owl, download the Meeting Owl app for your computer at www.owllabs.com/download.
2. Position the Meeting Owl ideally within 3-6 feet of every in-room person. Additionally, place the Meeting Owl at least 18 inches from any monitor/TV.
3. Owls are designed to be used for people sitting no more than 10 feet away for video and 18 feet away for audio. Using an owl in a large event space will not provide same quality to all participants. 
4. Plug the Meeting Owl into the power outlet. 
5. Plug the Meeting Owl’s USB-C Cable into your computer.
6. Open the Meeting Owl app and connect to the Meeting Owl. 
7. Start a meeting in your video conferencing platform (example: Zoom).
8. Set your conferencing software’s video, microphone, and speaker settings to “Meeting Owl.”
9. The Meeting Owl will automatically focus on active speakers.
10. Use the Meeting Owl app to control the camera, customize the view, adjust the settings, and more.

Questions/Issues

• Message: Owl update available. Tap to begin.
  • The update can only be completed by IT. When IT picks up the equipment, let them know it prompted you for an update. IT will update the equipment before the next person loans it.
• Call the IT Service Desk at 616-331-2101 with any issues you may come across.