Engineering / Hardware / archived
Universal Studios Drop Kiosk
Designed & engineered an end-to-end interactive touchscreen kiosk that combined custom hardware, software, & live video production into a seamless user NFC tap. Please watch video.
The physical kiosk was designed in CAD where the details and hardware were sent to a fabricator to be made.The kiosk was run by LattePanda computers, launching Firefox in kiosk mode to provide a locked-down touchscreen interface. A custom NFC PCB allowed visitors to tap their phones to kiosk to instantly create a unique session, connecting every interaction to their personal experience.
Inside the kiosk, Elgato cameras were captured through OBS and synchronized with the web application. Outside the kiosk, multiple professional cameras equipped with 200mm+ telephoto lenses captured candid reactions from a distance. These cameras transmitted low-latency wireless video to a Mac mini using Hollyland transmitters. I designed and 3D printed custom weather-resistant camera housings with integrated sunshades to protect the equipment during outdoor deployments.
The Mac mini ingested and synchronized every live camera feed, stitched them into a unified livestream, and delivered the video directly to each user’s session. At precisely timed moments, the software automatically captured reaction photos, assembled them into a branded photo-strip layout, and made the finished images immediately available for viewing and sharing after the experience concluded.
This project required full-stack software development, custom PCB design, CAD and mechanical design, 3D printing, networking, live video production, computer vision workflows, and the coordination of multiple hardware and software systems into a reliable public-facing installation.