Skylight

Abstract

1. Introduction

Get notified when I launch on a crowdfunding platform → skylightceiling.com A ready-made kit is coming. Join the waitlist for early access & launch pricing.

Skylight decodes ADS-B from a cheap RTL-SDR radio and renders the planes physically flying over you onto a ceiling-pointed projector. A jet you'd hear overhead glides across your ceiling at the same moment - labeled with its airline, type, and where it's headed. Pure-black background so the projector's rectangle disappears and only the aircraft (and stars) are lit.

Skylight automatically films the planes it's projecting: ADS-B-driven pointing with latency-compensated lead prediction, a hybrid vision system that locks the plane to center, and a confidence-gated zoom ladder that punches in as the lock holds. Includes a TV dashboard (/tv.html) with the live feed + radar inset, and a full

2. Objective

Project the aircraft passing overhead onto your ceiling in real time, from an RTL-SDR — with a live sky layer (sun, moon, stars, ISS) and where each plane is headed.

This project demonstrates how TypeScript, Raspberry Pi, React can be applied to a real-world Internet of Things (IoT) problem.

3. Key Features / Modules

• Real-time overhead aircraft from a local RTL-SDR (sub-second), or from a free web
• Type-aware glyphs in a luminous, swept-wing style: widebodies tower over regional
• Smooth motion - interpolates the ~1 Hz fixes to 60 fps by rendering slightly in
• Comet trails, altitude-graded color, and range rings + compass for orientation.
• The airport (runways) drawn at its true position, so you watch departures and
• Window to elsewhere - each routed flight shows its destination city, local time
• Live sky layer - sun, moon (with phase), bright stars + constellation lines,
• Phone control panel - every setting (rotation, theme, palette, filters, sky
• Optional sky camera - point a PTZ camera (VISCA-over-IP + RTSP) at the sky and
• Vision that knows a plane from a cloud - the camera tracker fuses three signals:

4. Technology Stack

5. System Requirements

General requirements for this technology stack — check the README for exact versions.

• Node.js (LTS) and npm / yarn / pnpm
• VS Code or any code editor
• Git (to clone the repository)

6. Installation & Setup

git clone https://github.com/cpaczek/skylight.git
cd skylight

1. Display: http://localhost:5173/
2. Control panel: http://localhost:5173/control.html (or from your phone: http://:5173/control.html)
3. Camera tracker debug UI: http://localhost:5173/tracker.html - runs against a
4. TV dashboard: http://localhost:5173/tv.html

pnpm install
DATA_SOURCE=api pnpm dev

Full setup instructions are in the project README.

7. Future Enhancements

Suggested extensions you can add to make this your own project.

• Add a mobile dashboard using Blynk or Firebase
• Store readings in a cloud database for history charts
• Add alerts via SMS / Telegram when thresholds are crossed

8. Viva / Review Questions

Common questions examiners ask for projects in this domain.

1. Which microcontroller / board and sensors are used and why?
2. How does the device send data (Wi-Fi, MQTT, HTTP, Bluetooth)?
3. Where is the sensor data stored and visualised?
4. How is power consumption managed?
5. How would you secure the device and its communication?

9. Source Code & License

This project is developed by cpaczek and published on GitHub under the MIT License. Please follow the license terms and credit the original author when you use or modify this code.