ThePhotoBooth - Event Photobooth Hardware Management System
Khaled developed embedded macOS software running on Mac Mini as the central controller for physical photobooth hardware. The system manages payment terminals, printers, and cameras through XPC and command-line inter-process communication with third-party manufacturer software. A key innovation was intelligent power management enabling deep sleep mode with millisecond wake-up for unattended 24/7 kiosk deployment at weddings, conferences, and shopping malls.
Problem Solved
Physical photobooth hardware needed intelligent central control software for unattended operation at events, managing multiple hardware components while minimizing electricity consumption
- •Architected embedded software system on Mac Mini as photobooth brain
- •Implemented XPC and command-line IPC for hardware component communication
- •Developed intelligent power management for 24/7 unattended kiosk operation
- •Created SwiftUI interface with AppKit system integration
- •Integrated payment terminal, printer, and camera control systems
- •Delivered software optimized for event deployment constraints
- ✓Built embedded macOS software serving as brain for physical photobooth hardware
- ✓Implemented XPC and command-line IPC for coordinating multiple hardware components
- ✓Developed intelligent power management achieving millisecond wake-up from deep sleep
- ✓Created unified control system for payment terminal, printer, and camera
- ✓Delivered software suitable for unattended 24/7 deployment in public spaces
- ✓Combined SwiftUI user interface with AppKit system integration
Performance
- • Millisecond wake-up time from deep sleep mode
- • 24/7 unattended operation capability
Scale
- • Deployed at weddings, conferences, and shopping malls
- • Controls 3+ hardware components through unified interface
Technology Stack
Challenge
Coordinating multiple hardware components (payment terminal, printer, camera) through different manufacturer software
Solution
Implemented hybrid IPC strategy using XPC for secure communication with some components and command-line interface for others, creating unified control layer
Impact
Achieved seamless hardware orchestration despite diverse manufacturer interfaces
Challenge
Power management for unattended kiosk operation - 24/7 operation causes high electricity bills and heat issues
Solution
Developed intelligent deep sleep mode that dramatically reduces power consumption when not in use, with optimized wake-up logic achieving millisecond response to user interaction
Impact
Enabled cost-effective 24/7 deployment in commercial spaces like malls while maintaining instant responsiveness
Challenge
Combining SwiftUI for modern UI with AppKit for deep system integration
Solution
Architected application with SwiftUI handling user-facing interface while AppKit handles system-level operations and hardware communication
Impact
Modern, maintainable codebase with full access to low-level macOS capabilities
Situation
B&S Collective built physical photobooth hardware for events like weddings and conferences, but needed intelligent software to serve as the brain coordinating all components. The photobooths would be deployed unattended in locations like shopping malls, requiring 24/7 operation while managing electricity costs and heat concerns.
Task
Develop embedded macOS software running on Mac Mini that could control payment terminals, printers, and cameras as a unified system, with intelligent power management for commercial deployment.
Action
Khaled architected the software as an embedded system despite running on standard Mac Mini hardware. For hardware coordination, he implemented a hybrid IPC strategy: XPC services for secure communication with some components and command-line interfaces for controlling third-party manufacturer software. The UI used SwiftUI for modern interface design while AppKit handled system-level operations. The power management system was a key innovation, allowing the photobooth to enter deep sleep mode between uses while achieving millisecond wake-up response when someone approached, dramatically reducing electricity consumption for 24/7 deployments.
Result
The software enabled B&S Collective to deploy photobooths at diverse venues from weddings to shopping malls. The intelligent power management solved the commercial viability challenge of unattended operation. The project demonstrated rare embedded macOS expertise, combining hardware integration with sophisticated power optimization.
Technical
- • XPC patterns for secure inter-process communication
- • Command-line IPC for third-party software control
- • macOS power management and sleep/wake optimization
- • Embedded software constraints on standard hardware
- • Hardware integration through software abstraction
Soft Skills
- • Understanding real-world deployment constraints (heat, electricity, unattended operation)
- • Designing for diverse deployment environments (weddings vs malls)
Key Insights
- 💡 Embedded software patterns apply to macOS kiosk applications
- 💡 Power management becomes critical for commercial deployments
- 💡 Diverse hardware requires flexible IPC strategies