How to Set Up Kiosk Mode for Test Stations

Kiosk mode locks a test station's display to the operator interface. The operator sees only the test UI. No address bar, no taskbar, no desktop, no way to accidentally close the browser or open other applications. This guide covers how to set up kiosk mode on Windows and Linux for manufacturing test stations.

Why Kiosk Mode

Problem	Kiosk Mode Solves It
Operator closes the browser	Browser restarts automatically
Operator navigates away from the test UI	Address bar is hidden
Operator opens other applications	Taskbar is hidden, Alt+Tab is disabled
Station boots to a desktop	Browser opens automatically on startup
Display is hard to read at arm's length	Browser zoom is preset to 150%

Kiosk mode turns a general-purpose PC into a dedicated test terminal.

Prerequisites

Chrome or Chromium installed on the station PC
TofuPilot streaming URL for the station
Admin access to the station PC

Step 1: Launch Chrome in Kiosk Mode

Windows

Create a shortcut or batch script that launches Chrome in kiosk mode pointing to the TofuPilot streaming URL.

start_operator_ui.bat

@echo off
REM Launch Chrome in kiosk mode for operator UI
start "" "C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe" ^
    --kiosk ^
    --disable-pinch ^
    --overscroll-history-navigation=0 ^
    --noerrdialogs ^
    --disable-translate ^
    --no-first-run ^
    --fast ^
    --fast-start ^
    --disable-features=TranslateUI ^
    --disk-cache-dir=nul ^
    "https://tofupilot.app/streaming/your-station-room-id"

Linux

Create a shell script for kiosk mode on Linux stations.

start_operator_ui.sh

#!/bin/bash
# Launch Chromium in kiosk mode for operator UI
chromium-browser \
    --kiosk \
    --disable-pinch \
    --overscroll-history-navigation=0 \
    --noerrdialogs \
    --disable-translate \
    --no-first-run \
    --disable-features=TranslateUI \
    "https://tofupilot.app/streaming/your-station-room-id"

Step 2: Auto-Start on Boot

Windows

Place the batch script in the Startup folder:

C:\Users\<operator>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\

Or create a scheduled task that runs the script at logon.

Linux (systemd)

Create a systemd service that starts the browser after the display server is ready.

/etc/systemd/system/operator-ui.service

[Unit]
Description=Operator UI Kiosk
After=graphical.target

[Service]
Type=simple
User=operator
Environment=DISPLAY=:0
ExecStart=/home/operator/start_operator_ui.sh
Restart=on-failure
RestartSec=5

[Install]
WantedBy=graphical.target

Enable the service:

terminal

sudo systemctl enable operator-ui.service

The Restart=on-failure setting means the browser relaunches automatically if it crashes or gets closed.

Step 3: Configure the Display

Setting	Value	How
Browser zoom	125-150%	Set in Chrome settings or via `--force-device-scale-factor=1.5` flag
Screen timeout	Never	Disable sleep/screensaver in OS power settings
Screen rotation	Landscape	Match the UI layout
Resolution	Native	Don't downscale, the UI is responsive

Step 4: Set Up Barcode Scanner

Most USB barcode scanners work as HID keyboard devices. When the operator scans a barcode, the characters are typed into the active input field.

Setting	Recommendation
Scanner mode	USB HID Keyboard (default on most scanners)
Suffix	Configure the scanner to send Enter after each scan
Prefix	None (or configure to match your serial format)
Focus	The TofuPilot operator UI auto-focuses the serial input field

The workflow becomes: operator scans barcode, Enter is sent automatically, test starts. No clicking, no typing.

Step 5: Lock Down the Station

Disable Keyboard Shortcuts (Windows)

Use Group Policy or a third-party tool to disable:

Shortcut	Why
Alt+Tab	Prevents switching away from the operator UI
Alt+F4	Prevents closing the browser
Ctrl+W	Prevents closing the tab
Windows key	Prevents opening the Start menu

Disable Keyboard Shortcuts (Linux)

Configure the window manager to ignore these shortcuts, or run Chrome in a minimal window manager (like Openbox) that doesn't bind them.

Troubleshooting

Issue	Fix
Browser shows "No internet" on boot	The browser starts before the network is ready. Add a 10-second delay to the startup script, or use `Restart=on-failure` in systemd.
Screen goes black after inactivity	Disable screen timeout in OS power settings and screensaver.
Scanner types into the wrong field	The TofuPilot UI auto-focuses the serial input. If focus is lost, clicking anywhere on the page restores it.
Browser updates break kiosk mode	Pin the Chrome/Chromium version or disable auto-updates on station PCs.

How to Set Up Kiosk Mode for Test Stations