Most DIY projects are undertaken to test the viability of an idea that is hard to dismiss. Work From Hype, a YouTube creator who is obsessed with his work-from-home office and desk setup, is someone who doesn’t stop before trying out an idea. His latest project is something nobody ever thought of, let alone implementing.
It all started with the idea of creating a desk with smart widgets that is more than just furniture. This, without using any desk gadgets or fancy props. To test out the idea, the maker chooses his unboxing desk to test out things before moving the setup to his main office desk. Moving his test desk into position for the test and hooking it to a mini PC running Windows 11, the next step was to connect the overhead projector to the articulated arm.
Designer: Work From Hype
He created an image in Photoshop to surround the keyboard and mouse with a projected glowing box. It looked good to start with, as the mini PC is connected to the projector and the computer screen. Then he went on to add custom widgets to the surface of the desk to display information like To-Do Lists, Notes, real-time weather, music player controls, and the most important widget that displays the current system performance. He calls the initial phase of the project Glow Desk Version 1.0, as he comes across some things that need to be fixed. The major one is the resolution of the projector, maxing out at 1280x720p, which blurs out the text elements being projected on the desk. Moreover, the projector’s brightness was average, so he had to turn off the main lights in the room and close the blinds, which is not good for the eyes.
As a blessing in disguise, team Valerion contacted him for the VisionMaster Pro 2, 4K laser projector to support the project. The sketchy arm that held the old low-res projector was a bit of a handful for the Valerion’s high-end projector; still, he went ahead with a leap of faith. It all turned out well as he was able to test the high-resolution display of the projector with what he calls fancy zones. For example, pinning the tutorial videos on the desk’s surface to follow his hobby of building mechanical keyboards. He uses the Fancy Zones tool for creating the Windows layout to customize the space that is flexible depending on his needs. His final test came in the form of a custom screensaver that drapes the whole desk surface in a beautiful Sierra.
In the end, the goal of the project was to test out the idea and its practicality. The Glow Desk, as a concept, works by adding screens to the desk surface, but there are some drawbacks. The desk cannot be moved as the whole setup is out of place, or he has to reposition the overhead projector. Cost of the project is another thing to keep in mind, as the 4K projector is, in fairness, a premium home theatre accessory that isn’t justified hanging overhead displaying widgets!
The post DIYer turns ordinary desk into smart display hub using a 4K projector first appeared on Yanko Design.