Professional Portfolio

Role

Lead Designer & Systems Integrator

Timeline

2025–2026

Technologies

Raspberry Pi 3
Embedded Linux (Raspberry Pi OS)
Node.js (Express)
PM2 Process Manager
Google Calendar API (OAuth 2.0)
Chromium (Kiosk Mode)
HTML / CSS / JavaScript
Luxon (Time & Timezone Management)
Wi-Fi / Ethernet Networking

Domain

Household Information Systems / Embedded Kiosk Platforms

Project Overview

The Home Information Kiosk is a wall-mounted, always-on embedded system designed to provide clear, non-intrusive household status information in a shared living environment.

The primary use case was to communicate child presence (“Kids Home: YES/NO”) to roommates in a respectful, privacy-preserving way, while also serving as a general household awareness display (time, upcoming changes, routine reminders).

The system integrates with Google Calendar to derive presence logic automatically, eliminating manual updates and reducing ambiguity for household members.

System Architecture

The kiosk is built on a single-board computer architecture optimized for reliability, unattended operation, and human-centered display design.

Raspberry Pi (Embedded Host)

• Runs embedded Linux (Raspberry Pi OS)

• Hosts a Node.js backend service

• Manages network connectivity and time synchronization

• Launches Chromium in fullscreen kiosk mode

• Automatically recovers from power loss or reboots

Node.js Backend (Service Layer)

• Express-based REST API (/api/status)

• Google Calendar API integration using OAuth 2.0

• Computes real-time household presence state

• Applies business logic for:

  • “Kids Home” detection

  • Next transition time (return / leave)

  • Routine household notices (e.g., trash night)

• Uses Luxon for robust timezone-aware date handling

• Managed by PM2 for auto-restart and resilience

Frontend Kiosk UI (Presentation Layer)

• Lightweight HTML/CSS/JS frontend

• State-driven rendering (YES / NO / Unknown)

• Dedicated clock tile updating every second

• Visual hierarchy optimized for at-a-glance readability

• Calm animations and color cues without cognitive overload

• Designed to be readable across room distance

Key Features

🔹 Automated Presence Awareness

• “Kids Home: YES / NO” derived from calendar events

• No details or schedules exposed

• Next transition clearly displayed (“returns” / “leaves”)

• Eliminates ambiguity for roommates and guests

🔹 Time & Orientation

• Dedicated large-format clock tile

• Updates every second

• Locked to local timezone (America/New_York)

• Ensures temporal awareness without phones or prompts

🔹 Household Routine Reminders

• Scheduled logic for recurring tasks (e.g., trash night)

• Context-aware reminders:

  • Monday: “Trash out tonight”

  • Tuesday morning: “Trash pickup today”

• Automatically clears outside relevant windows

🔹 Kiosk Reliability

• Fullscreen Chromium kiosk mode

• PM2 ensures backend auto-restart on failure

• Recovers automatically after reboot or power loss

• Designed for months-long unattended operation

Engineering Challenges Solved

Timezone Drift & Clock Accuracy

→ Diagnosed system-level UTC vs. local time mismatch and implemented OS-level timezone correction combined with frontend timezone enforcement.

Network Dependency & Resilience

→ Identified failure modes when Wi-Fi is unavailable; designed graceful degradation paths so UI remains stable even when cloud services are temporarily unreachable.

Human-Centered Information Design

→ Balanced clarity with privacy by abstracting calendar data into a binary presence signal instead of exposing schedules.

Kiosk Stability

→ Addressed Chromium background throttling and repaint issues common in kiosk deployments through configuration and refresh strategies.

Demonstration & Impact

The kiosk is actively deployed in a real household environment and used daily.

Observed benefits include:

• Reduced coordination friction among roommates

• Clear expectations about child presence

• Improved household routine compliance

• A shared “single source of truth” without verbal reminders

The system demonstrates how small, well-designed embedded displays can meaningfully improve daily life without adding complexity.

Why This Project Matters

This project demonstrates:

• Embedded Linux system integration

• Long-running service design

• Cloud API consumption with OAuth

• Time synchronization and timezone correctness

• Fault-tolerant kiosk deployment

• Human-centered systems engineering

• Real-world deployment beyond prototypes

It bridges embedded systems, IT infrastructure, and user experience design in a practical, lived-in environment.

Future Enhancements (Post-v1 Roadmap)

• Offline-first caching of last-known state

• Hidden administrative exit gesture for kiosk recovery

• Additional household event tiles (weather, transit alerts)

• Role-based display modes

• Packaging as a reusable household kiosk framework

Links

🔗 Portfolio: ElevateWithNobanza.com
🔗 Contact: nobanza@elevatewithnobanza.com