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

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

- Category: Hardware (build)
- Made by: [Sparklab](https://www.tiktok.com/@sparklabhq) on TikTok
- Original: https://www.tiktok.com/@sparklabhq/video/7685373445139467552
- On Afterware: https://afterware.xyz/p/a-live-e-ink-airplane-scanner-rebuilt-for-round-two

## Can I build this?

- Difficulty: Intermediate
- AI-buildability: 4/5 (Mostly firmware and API work, with some wiring and enclosure assembly for the display.)
- Time: A weekend
- Cost: $50–100
- Tools: soldering iron, 3D printer

Estimates based on the original write-up. How the AI-buildability score works: https://afterware.xyz/ai-buildability

## 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.
```

## 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.

Tags: e-ink, flight tracker, desk gadget, esp32, live data

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