TL;DR
A project by the ESP32 community user xDaftTurtle adds nearby flight tracking to Tesserae e-ink dashboards. It draws aircraft based on public flight data, scales their icons by wingspan and offers 26 illustration styles or a mode showing credited plane-spotter photos.
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ESP32 community user xDaftTurtle has built an Overhead Tesserae module that displays nearby aircraft on an e-ink dashboard, combining public flight data with illustrated plane images. Reported by XDA Developers on October 22, 2026, the project gives people who already use Tesserae dashboards a way to see aircraft flying within a chosen distance of home, with options to change the illustration style or display photos instead.
The module retrieves public flight data for aircraft within a set distance of the user’s home and generates a small image for the display. The icon size reflects the aircraft’s wingspan: planes with larger wings appear larger. The available account does not identify the flight-data provider or specify how frequently the dashboard refreshes.
Aircraft illustrations are created once per airframe using a credited photograph from Planespotters.net, then kept for later display. Users can choose from 26 visual styles, including vintage airline poster, engraving, woodblock, risograph and pixel art, or provide a prompt of their own. A separate mode displays the photographs themselves rather than illustrations.
XDA Developers identifies the project as a module for Tesserae dashboard software and points readers to an Overhead Tesserae GitHub page for setup details. The report does not list a complete hardware bill of materials or confirm that every ESP32-based e-ink display is compatible, so builders should check the project instructions before gathering parts.
Flight Tracking Comes to E-Ink Dashboards
The project turns nearby flight activity into a persistent visual display rather than requiring users to open a tracking app or website. E-ink screens are suited to dashboards that show information at a glance, and the aircraft illustrations add a visual element beyond a list of flight numbers or routes.
For makers, the reported options offer more than one way to adapt the display: users can select a preset art style, enter a custom prompt, or use the underlying photos. The scaling by wingspan also gives the screen a simple way to distinguish aircraft visually. However, the report does not provide testing results, operational measurements, or evidence about how reliably the module identifies and displays flights; those details should not be assumed.
A New Module for Tesserae
Overhead Tesserae brings together two kinds of maker projects described in the XDA report: e-ink displays that show nearby wildlife and projects that track aircraft overhead. Rather than presenting those as separate dashboard ideas, the module applies the same display concept to planes, drawing an aircraft image when flight data shows one within the configured distance.
The project follows earlier work by xDaftTurtle on a battery-powered Inky Impression display using a Pi Pico Plus 2 W, which XDA Developers had covered previously. The new module is associated with Tesserae; the report does not say that the earlier build and the new project use identical hardware or configuration.
“The illustrations are painted once per airframe from a credited planespotters.net photo, then kept.”
— XDA Developers, describing the project
Hardware and Data Details Still Open
The report does not specify the flight-data service, its update interval, the module’s network requirements, or whether its data coverage differs by location. It also does not give enough hardware detail to establish which e-ink panels or ESP32 boards are supported, or whether additional components are required.
The project is presented as something readers can set up using its GitHub instructions, but the report does not include independent testing or describe installation outcomes. The accuracy of the displayed aircraft, the handling of missing or delayed data, and the performance of the image-generation process are not reported.
Check the GitHub Setup Guide
Readers interested in building the display can consult the Overhead Tesserae GitHub page, which XDA Developers identifies as the place to find setup details and instructions. Builders will need to verify that their existing Tesserae installation and e-ink hardware meet the project’s requirements before attempting installation.
No release schedule, roadmap, or planned update is given in the report. Further details about supported boards, data sources and configuration would help potential users judge whether the module will work in their location and with their dashboard.
Source: XDA Developers
Key Questions
What does the Overhead Tesserae module do?
It uses public flight data to display aircraft within a set distance of home on a Tesserae e-ink dashboard.
How are the aircraft shown?
The module can show illustrations based on credited Planespotters.net photos or display the photos themselves. The illustration mode offers 26 styles, and aircraft image size reflects wingspan.
Can users change the illustration style?
Yes. XDA Developers reports that users can select one of 26 styles or write their own prompt. The report also describes a photo-display mode.
Where can builders find setup instructions?
XDA Developers directs readers to the Overhead Tesserae GitHub page. The report does not provide a full list of compatible boards or panels, so check the project documentation for hardware requirements.
Source: XDA Developers