Key facts
- A software engineer created a DIY flight tracker that projects live aircraft movements onto his ceiling.
- The project, named "Skylight," uses a Raspberry Pi, an ADS-B radio, and AI-generated code.
- AI tools like Anthropic's Claude were used to accelerate the coding process.
- An external camera streams live footage of planes, complementing the ceiling display.
- The engineer plans to make the project open-source and potentially offer a pre-made kit.
Cameron Paczek, a 24-year-old software engineer, has developed a unique flight tracking system that projects real-time aircraft movements onto his ceiling. Living near San Francisco International Airport, Paczek found himself constantly monitoring flights and decided to create a more immersive display.
Using a Raspberry Pi mini-computer, an ADS-B radio, and AI-generated code, Paczek built a system he calls "Skylight." The ADS-B radio receives aircraft GPS data, which is then processed by the Raspberry Pi to generate a live flight map projected onto his ceiling. This map includes details such as the airline, flight number, aircraft type, altitude, and destination.
Paczek utilized AI tools, specifically Anthropic's Claude, to assist with the coding, significantly reducing the development time from an estimated 10 hours to just one or two hours during breaks. He also incorporated a pan, tilt, zoom camera outside his home that streams live footage of the planes to his television, allowing him to identify specific flights without constantly checking apps.
Despite considerable interest, with nearly 3,600 people on a waitlist, Paczek does not plan to turn "Skylight" into a full-time business due to his existing full-time engineering job. Instead, he intends to make the project open-source, enabling others to build their own systems with the provided hardware and code. He is also preparing to launch a Kickstarter campaign for a pre-made kit.