| Operator | Alex Frankes |
|---|---|
| Mission | Building electronic tracks as a hobby — learning by trial/error and lots of hands-on experimentation. |
| Boot time | 55 years, 1 months, 23 days ago. Started producing in early 2024. |
| Genres | Acid · Techno · Trance |
| Rig | Ableton + hardware (buttons, cables, smiles) + studio fiddling. |
| Link | YouTube // @alidigitaly |
VISUAL INTELLIGENCE NODE · GRONINGEN
WELCOME ABOARD SKYCAM GRONINGEN
A permanent live window onto the sky, wrapped in a custom-built data cockpit.
The camera was originally installed for one simple reason: to check the weather above the lake where I enjoy sailing. Before leaving home, I could see whether there was useful wind, threatening cloud cover or a beautifully clear sky.
That practical weather camera subsequently got completely out of hand—in the most technically responsible way possible. Today, the stream combines live 4K imagery with weather sensors, astronomical calculations, orbital tracking, locally received aircraft data and public safety information.
Everything is presented through SkyHUD: a transparent, cyberpunk-inspired interface designed to keep the sky itself at centre stage.
I love clouds, weather, automation, technology, data collection, astronomy, science, nature and aviation. Add web development, photography, design, electronics, woodworking and the occasional birdhouse, and you have a reasonable explanation for how this happened.
01 ATMOSPHERE
| LOCAL | Temperature · real feel · humidity · pressure · dew point |
|---|---|
| WIND | Speed · direction · gusts · historical graphs |
| RADAR | Live precipitation radar |
| ALERTS | KNMI warnings · Groningen-relevant NL-Alerts |
02 AIRSPACE
| RX | Aircraft received directly by local ADS-B |
|---|---|
| TRACK | Callsign · type · altitude · distance · heading · speed |
| ROUTE | Available flight and route information |
| MODEL | Coordinates projected into camera space |
03 ORBITAL
| SKY | Sunrise · sunset · Moon phase · moonrise · moonset |
|---|---|
| OBJECTS | Visible ISS passes · planets · Starlink · bright satellites |
| EVENTS | Solar and lunar eclipses · seven-day advance notice |
| STATUS | Camera · sensors · tracking systems |
FOR THE NERDS
THE CHAIN BEHIND THE VIEW
Behind the peaceful view is a substantial technical chain. Current sensor, orbital, astronomical and locally received radio data are converted into calibrated screen positions and operational cockpit messages.