WHERE THIS TEST ENDED
The brighter projected screen makes the hand more visible in this test; redesigning the dashboard becomes the next step.
- Projected colors
- Light on the hand
- Camera image
- Tracking quality
An upgrade did not solve the whole problem
I begin by testing hand tracking after adding the AI HAT. It still does not behave the way I want. That leads me to inspect the camera feed instead of assuming that more processing power must be the answer.
The camera already covers the part of the desk where my hand should be. Changing its view initially looks promising, but I then notice another change: the screen being projected is much brighter.
The interface is also a light source
A white projected area lights the hand more than the earlier dark dashboard. In the clip, that contrast makes tracking look markedly better, and I can try grabbing and dragging.
The practical change is to make the dashboard suit the physical tracking conditions. Its appearance affects the camera image, not just what I see while using it. That is a constraint a conventional touchscreen does not have in the same way.
Two projects meet on one desk
I explain that the assistant originally ran on a Pi touchscreen, while the projected desk was a separate project. Combining them meant that choices from one interface were now affecting the other.
The next update tests a lighter dashboard. A depth sensor is still a possible experiment at this point; this video does not show one installed or working.
About this breakdown
Matched to this original TikTok, including its spoken captions. The result above describes this episode; later work is identified separately.
Breakdown checked September 6, 2026.