The Story of a Family Team: Mucitler House

In 2018, as visitors with our then 14-month-old daughter Zeynep, we participated in Teknofest, which became the first step in our journey as a family producing a technology team. On this path, father and daughter, we wrote a story leading to the finals of Teknofest. Here is the journey of House of the Mucits from seed to fruit...

House of Inventors is a family team founded in 2024 with social benefit at its core. The team was established by Eren Mustafa Özdal, a class teacher and mentor, and his daughter Zeynep Özdal. House of the Mucits is not merely a team that develops projects for competitions; it is an idea workshop seeking solutions to real-life needs.

The team placed second in Teknofest in 2024 and fifth in Teknofest 2025 TRNC. It has produced innovative solutions that apply technology to serve humanity, focusing on issues such as visual impairment, child safety, and healthy living.

Zeynep was only 14 months old. In 2018, we attended the first Teknofest with her by our side. The phrase spoken by Selçuk Bayraktar at the time, "The festival of those who say let my son be a pilot and my daughter an astronaut", left a deep impression on us. That day’s step became the seed of a dream that would later blossom and bear fruit. 🌱

^{Our Family’s Entry at Teknofest 2018 (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

This time we went to Teknofest with greater awareness and excitement. Every visit was a source of inspiration for children and motivation for families. We did not merely observe National Technology Initiative from afar; we felt we were part of it.

^{Some Moments from Teknofest 2019 (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

The Teknofest held in 2021 after the pandemic was an event where we once again experienced the joy of returning to the grounds. Zeynep was growing, her questions multiplying, and her curiosity at every booth reinforced the idea: "We must be here one day."

^{Some Moments from Teknofest 2021 (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

Due to the 100th anniversary of Republic, we participated in the special Teknofest events held in both Istanbul and Ankara. We were no longer just spectators but a family steadily progressing toward becoming producers. This would be our final attendance as visitors at Teknofest.

^{Some Moments from Teknofest 2023 Ankara and Istanbul (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

House of Inventors made its debut as a competitor at the 2024 Teknofest Adana. Our inspiration was our visually impaired grandmother. We wanted to solve the difficulties she faced in indoor environments, and thus the __strong style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Sengör project was born.

^{Visual Representation of Our Sengör Project Prototype and Operation (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

Sengör was Zeynep’s first project involving electronic components. Father and daughter rolled up our sleeves and created a series of fairy tales in which each electronic component was a distinct fairy tale character. We narrated the tales together. Zeynep learned how and why each component worked by listening to the stories.

^{Exhibition of Our Sengör Project at the Teknofest Mediterranean Final in Antalya (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

• We worked on suitable head-wearable solutions for Sensor placement (hat, bandana, glasses)
• A system integrating Ultrasonic distance sensor, buzzer, and vibration module was designed
• We developed the first prototype using Arduino infrastructure
• We defined three distinct alert modes for three different distance ranges

Before the Teknofest final, we first went to Antalya. There we presented our project to visitors and the jury.

🥈 With this project, we placed second in Teknofest Accessible Living categoryTeknofest to exhibit our project and receive the award at Adana

^{Our Teknofest Adana Project Exhibition and Award Ceremony (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

After Sengör, we shifted our focus to child safety. Zeynep’s friend who briefly got lost during a picnic inspired us. The question, "How can we prevent children from getting lost in crowded environments?" gave birth to the Minibağ project.

^{Poster of Our Minibağ Project for the Teknofest Final (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

• Two wristbands based on ESP-NOW: one for the parent, one for the child
• If the child moves beyond a safe distance, the parent’s wristband emits a vibration and sound alert
• Applications: Malls, parks, school trips, festival grounds

^{Our Teknofest TRNC Project Exhibition and Award Ceremony (Eren Mustafa Özdal)}

• We produced our first prototype using 3D printer
• A user-friendly and rechargeable system was designed

🏅 We achieved fifth place in TRNC Teknofest and third place in the TÜBİTAK special evaluation.

📜 After the competition, we also filed a patentapplication

Our new goal: get children moving! Experts’ warning that "children are moving less" guided us. Our solution to this challenge is: Actiband.

• Smart wristband with RGB LED rings and step-counting functionality
• Real-time visual feedback through colored lights based on activity levels
• Continuous motion analysis using a five-hour sliding window

• We advanced to the semifinals of the Teknofest 2025 Istanbul International Children’s Science Competition
• Currently preparing for prototype development

With this project, we encourage children to move more and adopt healthy lifestyle habits. We also aim to foster a positive competitive environment among them.

You can follow our team on Next Teknofest Sosyal Account of the Mucitler Evi: social.teknofest.app/@mucitler_evi