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ORBIT — MODULAR PRODUCTIVITY HUB

Control what revolves around you.

Orbit is a modular desk controller / productivity hub that explores physical controls, swappable input modules, and intuitive UI for tactile digital workflows.

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01 / Overview

What is Orbit?

A modular productivity console.

  • A desk controller built around swappable physical input modules.
  • A central core hosts modules over a shared connector and an I²C bus.
  • Current module set: core, dial, and macropad.
  • Embedded UI reflects the active module, profile, and mode.

Why Orbit?

Physical control, made intentional.

  • Digital workflows lean on hidden shortcuts and buried software menus.
  • Physical controls can make actions more tactile and intentional.
  • Swappable modules let the input surface adapt to different workflows.

02 / My Contribution

My contribution.

Orbit was a senior design project (SDP) built by a team. My work spanned the electronics, system design, mechanics, and software — this is what I specifically owned.

1

Circuit & PCB

Selected components under budget/size/power constraints and took schematics through to fabricated, NeoDen-assembled boards.

SchematicPCB layoutNeoDen assembly
2

System architecture & I²C hot-swap

Defined the I²C event architecture linking ESP32-S3 modules to the Raspberry Pi host, including attach/detach behavior under test.

I²C busESP32-S3Hot-swap (in test)
3

CAD, 3D print, materials

Built enclosures in Fusion 360 from PCB STEP files, 3D-printing and fit-testing resin keycaps and a translucent underglow base.

Fusion 360Resin printSTEP fit-check
4

Embedded software

Wrote ESP32-S3 module firmware and host-side event routing; building the LVGL host UI now (in progress).

ESP32-S3C / C++LVGL (in progress)
5

Integration, assembly, testing

Assembled and bench-tested modules, debugging the I²C bus and pogo-pin connections with a logic analyzer and scope.

Bring-upLogic analyzerPogo-pin bus
6

BOM, budget, documentation

Generated BOMs from PCB layouts, tracked budget against component choices, and documented build decisions.

BOMBudgetDocumentation

03 / System Architecture

From module input to host action.

Modules read inputs and emit events over I²C; the host owns profiles, UI state, and output actions.

Orbit system architecture — hardware flowchart showing module-to-host communication

System architecture (Hardware Flowchart)

04 / Modules

What is Core, dial, and Macro.

Every module is designed around the same connector, bus, and handshake so attach/detach behavior can be tested consistently across the current module set.

Core Module

Core Module

The host and visual anchor. Owns the display, profiles, and coordination, and routes events from attached modules.

  • 01Display. Round LVGL displayLCD · TODO
  • 02Compute. Raspberry Pi (host)HOST · TODO
  • 03Connector. Shared module connectorCONN
  • 04Input. Primary on-device controlINPUT
  • 05Power. USB-C, upstream to modulesPWR
Dial Module

Dial Module

A rotary interaction study — scroll, scrub, jog, and app-specific control from a single dial.

  • 01Encoder. Rotary encoderENC · TODO
  • 02Feedback. Haptic detents (target)HAP · TODO
  • 03Display. Small context displayOLED · TODO
  • 04MCU. ESP32-S3MCU
  • 05Bindings. Per-app: scroll, scrub, jogBIND
Macropad Module

Macropad Module

Contextual key layers — shortcuts, macros, and app-specific controls that change with the active profile.

  • 01Switches. Low-profile mechanicalSW · TODO
  • 02Lighting. Per-key RGB (target)RGB · TODO
  • 03Labels. Contextual key labelsLBL · TODO
  • 04MCU. ESP32-S3MCU
  • 05Layers. Per-app, auto-switchingLYR

07 / Timeline

From concept to capstone.

The build, stage by stage — from a rough sketch to a capstone demo, with the decision behind each step.

STAGE / 01

Concept / Ideation

Goal
Turn a loose idea into a shape worth building.
Decision
Rough early sketches and CAD blockouts in Fusion 360; talk to peers and an advisor for feedback.
What changed
Reviewed similar work and products to place Orbit against what already exists.
Fusion 360SketchFeedback
Concept / Ideation — photo 1 of 31 / 3
STAGE / 02

Source Components

Goal
Find the right parts before committing to a design.
Decision
Select components against constraints — budget, size, power, availability.
What changed
Wired the major components on a breadboard and tested them with a rough script.
BOMBreadboardConstraints
SOURCE COMPONENTS
Breadboard test photo needed
photo needed
STAGE / 03

Circuit Schematic

Goal
Capture the full circuit before laying out a board.
Decision
Make symbols and footprints; source or create all libraries.
What changed
Built the circuit schematic with every component wired as suggested in the datasheets.
SchematicSymbolsFootprints
CIRCUIT SCHEMATIC
Schematic capture needed
photo needed
STAGE / 04

PCB Layout & Assembly Planning

Goal
Produce a manufacturable board and a way to build it.
Decision
Lay out the PCB with appropriate zones, edge cuts, ground plane, and test points; generate the BOM.
What changed
Learned and ran a NeoDen pick-and-place and reflow process, with some boards hand-assembled or service-assisted depending on the board.
LayoutBOMNeoDen
PCB Layout & Assembly Planning
STAGE / 05

Enclosure Design

Goal
Wrap the electronics in a case that actually fits.
Decision
Export PCB STEP files and import them into Fusion 360 to design the enclosure around the PCB assembly.
What changed
3D printed and fit-tested against the real boards — resin-printing the high-detail keycaps, using a translucent base to diffuse the underglow LEDs, and tuning the dial cap slip-fit tolerance across iterations.
Fusion 360STEPResin print
ENCLOSURE DESIGN
Enclosure fit-test photo needed
photo needed
STAGE / 06

Debugging & Testing

Goal
Make the hardware behave, then keep it honest.
Decision
Put a logic analyzer / oscilloscope on the test points and pogo pins.
What changed
Checked connectivity between major components, looked for shorts, found issues on the pogo-pin bus, and fixed firmware where applicable.
Logic analyzerScopeBring-up
Debugging & Testing
STAGE / 07

Demo Day / Review

Goal
Present the work and learn from the room.
Decision
Present to the department, peers, faculty, and community, and gather feedback.
What changed
The project earned recognition at the review — the full award and feedback live in the Recognition section.
Demo dayReviewFeedback
Demo Day / Review

08 / Demo Day

Feedback & recognition.

Orbit was shown at the senior design demo day to faculty, peers, and the community. Below is real audience feedback alongside the recognition it received.

Quote pending — add real feedback from this reviewer.

Faculty reviewer

Quote pending — add real feedback from this reviewer.

Peer reviewer

Quote pending — add real feedback from this reviewer.

Demo-day visitor
Faculty Choice — Third Place award, Orbit Senior Design Project.

Faculty Choice — Third Place, UMass ECE Senior Design Project Demo Day.

Orbit at the UMass ECE Senior Design Project demo day.

09 / Future Plan

Where it goes next.

An honest read on where the build stands today, and the scoped next steps — near, mid, and long term.

Where it stands today

PARTIAL

Module → host events

A module input reaches the host as an event over the I²C bus.

PARTIAL

LVGL UI on the host

The host renders its interface and reflects module context.

PARTIAL

Per-app profile mapping

Events are re-bound based on the active application profile.

PARTIAL

Module hot-attach

Attaching a module is detected and enumerated by the host.

PARTIAL

Planned HID output path

Mapped events are intended to drive the connected computer as HID actions.

PARTIAL

FocusMode actions

Inputs are intended to trigger FocusMode integration actions.

NEXT

Short-term

  • Add a real demo video.
  • Finalize the HID transport.
  • Complete the UI states.
  • Validate module connector behaviour.
  • Document the PCB bring-up.
SOON

Medium-term

  • Refine enclosure tolerances.
  • Improve module detection.
  • Run more usability testing.
  • Complete the FocusMode integration.
LATER

Long-term

  • Additional modules (sliders, jog wheels, pen input).
  • Wireless communication research.
  • An open module spec / SDK for third-party modules.