Hardware · build

A live e-ink airplane scanner, rebuilt for round two

Sparklabon TikTok

Original

Sparklab's desk gadget tracks overhead flights on a 4.3in e-ink panel, and this version is a second pass at the idea.

Can I build this?Intermediate · AI 4/5 · $50–100

Difficulty: Intermediate
AI-buildability: 4/5
Time: A weekend
Cost: $50–100

Tools

soldering iron3D printer

Starter prompt

Based on "A live e-ink airplane scanner, rebuilt for round two" on Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/a-live-e-ink-airplane-scanner-rebuilt-for-round-two

Write MicroPython firmware for an ESP32-S3 board driving a 4.3in 400x300 e-ink display. On boot, connect to Wi-Fi, poll a public ADS-B flight data API for aircraft within 20 km of a set latitude and longitude, and render the callsign, altitude and heading of the nearest three flights. Refresh every 60 seconds and use partial refresh to limit ghosting.

Estimates based on the original write-up. How AI-buildability is scored. Building with an AI assistant? Connect it to Afterware (free MCP server).

Story

A new version of Sparklab's live e-ink airplane scanner, shown in a short TikTok clip. The post is a single caption with hashtags and no build details, so the way it works is only visible on screen.

The desk unit puts live aircraft data on a 4.3in e-ink display at 400x300, the same panel class listed among the project's parts. E-ink suits a flight board that only needs to refresh now and then, since it holds its image without drawing power.

If you're after a similar desk tracker, an e-ink panel plus a small Wi-Fi microcontroller and a flight-data API is the core of it. The clip is the best look at the new hardware.

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