Browser-based web app
EDCoPTER
A real-time web app for modern browsers that turns phones, tablets and PCs on the local network into live, touch-friendly control panels. Built as a free companion app for Elite Dangerous players, it shows what a browser-based app can do beyond a website.
How it fits together
- Game
- Elite Dangerous
- EDCoPilot voice assistant
- Bridge
- Electron app + local server
- TCP to WebSocket
- Screens
- Browser on phone, tablet or PC
- Integrations
- MQTT / Home Assistant
- Azure storage
The challenge
The goal was to give Elite Dangerous players who use the EDCoPilot voice assistant a second screen: live information about their ship and location, and buttons for in-game commands, on a phone, tablet or PC already to hand. That meant bridging a local desktop tool to browsers across the home network in real time, letting every player design their own layout, and shipping reliable installers and updates to people running it on their own machines.
What was built
- An Electron desktop app that acts as a local server, bridging EDCoPilot’s TCP interface to browsers over HTTP and WebSockets, with an optional headless server mode.
- An Angular interface that works on phones, tablets and PCs, with touch gestures, screen wake lock and responsive layouts.
- Custom command panels that players build themselves with drag-and-drop editing, custom icons and background images.
- Dedicated panels for navigation, system and station search, route planning, trading, mining, exploration, a voice command log and time trials with a leaderboard.
- MQTT publishing so game events can drive Home Assistant and other smart-home automation.
- Packaged Windows desktop releases with installers, automatic updates, stable and beta release channels, and CI/CD pipelines behind each release.
Technical highlights
- 01
Real-time across the network
Game events reach connected phones, tablets and PCs as they happen. Reconnection logic, session persistence and optional HTTPS with secure WebSockets keep it dependable on real home networks.
- 02
Designed by its users
Players arrange their own command panels and layouts, so the same app serves a flight deck, a mining rig or an exploration setup, on a phone or a wide monitor.
- 03
Released and maintained properly
EDCoPTER has progressed through a public beta and multiple production releases, with structured changelogs, update channels, translation support and ongoing work on performance and consistency.
What it demonstrates
Rich, app-like interfaces in modern web browsers, on desktop, tablet and mobile Building, releasing and maintaining a substantial application that real people install and use Real-time data across devices over WebSockets and MQTT Integrating with third-party software and smart-home systems Touch-friendly, customisable interfaces that adapt to a wide range of screen sizes Desktop packaging, automatic updates and release management
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