Eyes That Track Your Touches — with M5Stack Core2

Motivation

The M5Stack Core 2 packs a lot of features: a small, charming frame, a lithium battery, a built-in touchscreen, and a built-in accelerometer. I wanted to create something that not only used these features, but also made people smile.

While brainstorming, I recalled xeyes—the nostalgic classic desktop program where an animated pair of eyes follows your mouse cursor. That sparked a thought: What if I could bring that same playful experience to the M5Stack, and make it even more interactive using its built-in sensors?

The result is a cheerful little application where two animated eyes track your fingertip across the screen, and—thanks to the accelerometer—spin in surprise when you give the Core2 a gentle tap.

Features

• Touch Tracking — Pupil positions update instantly based on your fingertip’s location.
• Tap Reaction — A quick knock makes the eyes spin 360°.
• Smooth Animation — Rendering optimized for Core2’s LCD.
• Self-Contained — No additional modules required.

Installation

• Register an M5Stack Community account if you haven't already.
• Launch M5Burner .
• Click USER CUSTOM in the lower left corner.
• Log in to the M5Stack Community.
• Click the Share Burn button.
• Enter NOmrydGI4FXocM31 in the Share Code field.
• Click the lightning icon ⚡ .

Installation for developers

• Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/cubic9com/m5core2_eyes.git
cd m5core2_eyes

• Install Visual Studio Code if you haven't already.
• Open the project in Visual Studio Code:

code .

• Install the PlatformIO IDE extension: Go to the Extensions view (Ctrl+Shift+X). Search for PlatformIO IDE and install it.
• Open PlatformIO Home: In the left Activity Bar, click the PlatformIO icon. In the left Primary Sidebar, go to QUICK ACCESS > PIO Home > Open.
• Open the project: In the right Editor Groups, click Open Project in the PIO HOME tab. Select the cloned m5core2_eyes project folder.
• Upload the project: In the left Primary Sidebar, go to PROJECT TASKS > m5stack-core2 > General > Upload.

Usage

• Touch the display.
• Give the M5Stack Core 2 a gentle tap to make the eyes spin.