Complete project structure for an automated Fajr/Isha observation appliance:
Hardware:
- BOM for 3 build tiers ($270, $465, $1000)
- 20-unit bulk order spec (~$9,900 for fleet)
- Solar power, weatherproof enclosure, GPS timing
Software:
- Detection engine: multi-channel color analysis + temporal derivative
tracking on horizon ROI, no fixed brightness threshold
- Capture scheduler: computes twilight windows from coordinates,
captures every 10s during window, runs detection, uploads results
- Solar position via PyEphem for depression angle at each frame
- Upload sync: hourly cron to central server + CSV export for offline
Provisioning:
- first-boot.sh: one-shot setup script installs all deps, configures
systemd service, sets up WiFi from station.yaml on boot partition
- Flash SD card, edit station.yaml, plug in, forget
Docs:
- Volunteer host guide: 10-minute installation, plug-and-play
- Hardware BOM with sourcing links
