SMART OBJECTS: THE SMART CLASSROOM

Development Workflow

Smart Objects Cameras

SVA MFA Interaction Design · Winter 2026
Edit locally → Copy to Pi → Run on Pi

ARCHITECTURE

Two Machines, One Workflow KEY CONCEPT

YOUR LOCAL COMPUTER LOCAL

smart-objects-cameras/
  ├── person_detector.py
  ├── fatigue_detector.py
  ├── gaze_detector.py
  ├── discord_bot.py
  ├── utils/
  └── README.md

Edit code here
Test logic here
Commit to GitHub here

RASPBERRY PI REMOTE

~/oak-projects/
  ├── person_detector.py
  ├── discord_notifier.py
  ├── .env          ← never in GitHub!
  ├── latest_frame.jpg
  └── camera_status.json

Run code here
Camera connected here
Only files you need

LOCAL ⟶ scp (copy files) ⟶ PI

Full guide →

INITIAL SETUP

Step 1: Clone Locally, Create Folder on Pi

On your local computer LOCAL

1 Clone the GitHub repository

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/[your-org]/smart-objects-cameras.git
cd smart-objects-cameras

On the Raspberry Pi REMOTE

2 SSH in and create the project directory

# SSH into Pi
ssh orbit   # or gravity, or horizon

# Create project directory
mkdir -p ~/oak-projects

One-time setup. You only need to do this once per computer and once per Pi.

Full guide →

COPY FILES

Step 2: Copy Files to Pi LOCAL

Run these commands from your local computer (not on the Pi!):

# Navigate to your local repo
cd ~/path/to/smart-objects-cameras

# Copy the files you need
scp person_detector_with_display.py orbit:~/oak-projects/
scp discord_notifier.py orbit:~/oak-projects/

# For fatigue/gaze, also copy the utils folder
scp -r utils orbit:~/oak-projects/

Replace orbit with gravity or horizon for other Pis.

More scp patterns:

scp file.py orbit:~/oak-projects/ # single file

scp -r utils orbit:~/oak-projects/ # entire folder

scp file1.py file2.py orbit:~/oak-projects/ # multiple files

Full guide →

ENVIRONMENT

Step 3: Create .env File ON THE PI

Already configured (DO NOT MODIFY)

# These are set on each Pi:
DISCORD_WEBHOOK_URL=...
DISCORD_APPLICATION_ID=...
DISCORD_PUBLIC_KEY=...
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=...
# (OrbitBot / GravityBot / HorizonBot)

Check with: ls ~/oak-projects/.env

What you add (optional)

# Edit the existing .env:
nano ~/oak-projects/.env

# Add at the bottom:
DISCORD_USER_ID=your_discord_user_id
DISCORD_DM_BOT_TOKEN=your_dm_bot_token

Then secure: chmod 600 ~/oak-projects/.env

NEVER commit .env to GitHub! It contains secret tokens.

Full guide →

RUN

Step 4: Run Your Code ON THE PI

Every time you want to run a script on the Pi:

$ ssh orbit

$ activate-oak

$ cd ~/oak-projects

$ python3 person_detector_with_display.py --display

Remember: Always run activate-oak first to load the shared Python environment. You should see (venv) appear before your prompt.

Tip: Use hostname to verify you are on the Pi (shows orbit, gravity, or horizon).

Full guide →

DEVELOPMENT CYCLE

Step 5: Making Changes

The edit-copy-run loop you will repeat every time you change code:

1 Edit code on your laptop LOCAL

nano person_detector_with_display.py # or use VS Code

2 Copy updated file to Pi LOCAL

scp person_detector_with_display.py orbit:~/oak-projects/

3 Run updated code on Pi ON THE PI

activate-oak && cd ~/oak-projects && python3 person_detector_with_display.py --display

↺ Repeat from Step 1

Full guide →

FILE DEPENDENCIES

Which Files to Copy

Each detector needs specific files on the Pi. Copy only what you need:

Detector	Files to Copy	Notes
Person Detection	`person_detector_with_display.py` `discord_notifier.py`	Notifier only if using `--discord`
Fatigue Detection	`fatigue_detector.py` `utils/` folder `discord_notifier.py`	Copy `utils/` with `scp -r`
Gaze Estimation	`gaze_detector.py` `utils/` folder `discord_notifier.py`	Copy `utils/` with `scp -r`
Discord Bots	`discord_bot.py` `discord_dm_notifier.py`	Public bot + personal DM bot

Shared dependency: Fatigue and Gaze both need utils/. Copy it once and both detectors can use it.

Full guide →

COMMON MISTAKES

What Not to Do WATCH OUT

Cloning the repo on the Pi
Don't run git clone on the Pi. It creates unnecessary files and risks accidentally committing .env to GitHub. The repo belongs on your local computer only.

Forgetting to copy updated files
You edit on your laptop but forget to scp to the Pi. The Pi still runs the old version! Always run scp after every edit before re-running on the Pi.

Committing .env to GitHub
Never run git add .env. The .env file contains secret tokens (Discord bot tokens, webhook URLs) that would be publicly visible on GitHub.

Golden rule: Repo on laptop, .env on Pi, never the other way around.

Full guide →

QUICK REFERENCE

Summary

Action	Where	Command
Clone repo	LOCAL	`git clone ...`
Edit code	LOCAL	Use your favorite editor
Copy files	LOCAL	`scp file.py orbit:~/oak-projects/`
Create .env	PI	`nano ~/oak-projects/.env`
Run scripts	PI	`activate-oak && python3 script.py`
Commit changes	LOCAL	`git add`, `git commit`, `git push`
Check which machine	Either	`hostname`

VS Code Remote SSH alternative: Install the "Remote - SSH" extension, connect to orbit, and edit files directly on the Pi. No scp needed — drag and drop between local and remote windows works too.

Remember: Repo on laptop, files on Pi, run on Pi!