Freddie Knight

Personal projects & practical builds

Things I build outside my degree

Engineering, software and practical projects that I work on outside my main university projects.

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Photograph and project work by Freddie Knight

In Progress
Original project work

Mini Aircraft Radar

A compact physical aircraft radar display built around an ESP32, a 1.28-inch round GC9A01 display, and a KY-040 rotary encoder.

Key Features

  • Connects to Wi-Fi and retrieves live aircraft data from the OpenSky Network API.
  • Plots nearby aircraft by real-world distance and bearing from a selected location, with position markers and heading indicators.
  • Supports selectable radar ranges of 5, 10, 25, and 50 nautical miles.
  • Uses a KY-040 rotary encoder to change range, select aircraft, and open a dedicated aircraft information screen.
  • Includes an on-device settings interface for switching between preset locations and Wi-Fi networks without re-uploading software.
  • The working electronics and software use an ESP32, 1.28-inch round GC9A01 display, C++, Arduino IDE, TFT_eSPI, JSON processing, REST API integration, OAuth authentication, and a custom 240×240 circular interface.
  • The electronics and software are working, with a custom 3D-printed enclosure currently being developed.
ESP32C++Arduino IDEOpenSky APITFT_eSPIREST APIsOAuthIn Progress

App design and interface work by Freddie Knight

In Progress
Original project work

Pub Compass - iOS App

An iOS app in active development for finding nearby pubs based on real-time preferences rather than simply listing every nearby pub.

Key Features

  • Built in Swift and SwiftUI, with Google Places API integration for pub and location information.
  • Uses Supabase as the backend database for app data and user-contributed information.
  • Designed to help users filter pubs by useful preferences such as opening status, food availability, and specific beers or ciders.
  • Includes a crowdsourced drink availability system so users can contribute what is currently available or on tap.
  • I am developing an AI-assisted drink estimation system that uses information such as menus, reviews, and photos when reliable crowdsourced data is not available.
SwiftSwiftUIGoogle Places APISupabaseiOSAPI Integration

Photograph and camper conversion work by Freddie Knight

Completed
Original project work

VW Caddy Camper Conversion

A hands-on conversion of an empty VW Caddy panel van into a compact camper designed around mountain biking, camping, outdoor travel, and practical DIY projects.

Key Features

  • Prepared the empty panel van by adding insulation, sound deadening, carpeting, and interior finishing.
  • Designed and built a custom modular combi unit that makes efficient use of the limited space inside the VW Caddy.
  • Built a slide-out bed system that can be configured as either a single bed or a double bed.
  • Integrated under-bed storage drawers, a rear slide-out kitchen, and storage planned around camping and mountain biking equipment.
  • Installed bicycle fork mounts so mountain bikes can be transported securely while preserving usable interior space.
  • Added a practical off-grid electrical system with around 4500 Wh of storage and a 2000 W inverter for e-bike charging, electronics, camping equipment, cooking appliances, and mains-powered tools.
  • The power system also makes the van useful for self-employed handyman work by allowing tools to be powered or charged where convenient mains electricity is not available.
Camper ConversionDIY FabricationElectrical SystemsPractical EngineeringMountain BikingOff-Grid Power
Documentation in progress — project photography will be added here
Completed
Original project work

Machined Geometric Bottle Opener

A self-directed machining project completed after formal university workshop training, designed to build confidence taking a simple SolidWorks design from drawing through to a finished physical component.

Key Features

  • Designed a deliberately simple geometric bottle opener in SolidWorks so the focus remained on machining practice rather than component complexity.
  • Worked from a SolidWorks engineering drawing to plan the setup, machining sequence, and key dimensions.
  • Used university workshop equipment to develop confidence with manual milling, secure workholding, accurate setup, and safe machining technique.
  • Focused on maintaining dimensions, achieving a good surface finish, and improving practical manufacturing judgement.
Manual MachiningMillingLatheSolidWorksManufacturingWorkshop Skills

The drawing and finished-component photography are kept as source material for now; the original PDF is not published here.

Documentation in progress — project photography will be added here
In Progress
Original project work

Budget Self-Hosted Photo & File Server

An ongoing DIY project to build a low-cost home NAS and private cloud for consolidating my photos and files without relying entirely on Google Photos.

Key Features

  • Designed around at least 2 TB of photo and file storage, with room to expand using inexpensive or second-hand hardware where practical.
  • Uses Immich as an open-source, self-hosted Google Photos alternative for automatic phone photo backup and browsing.
  • Aims to make photos and files easy to access from my MacBook, iPhone, and iPad both at home and remotely.
  • Uses secure remote access through Tailscale rather than exposing the NAS directly to the internet.
  • Includes migration of existing photo libraries from four Google accounts using Google Takeout, while preserving original dates and metadata.
  • The longer-term plan includes a separate local backup so the NAS is not the only copy of the data.
ImmichDockerLinuxTailscaleHome NASPrivate Cloud