Man uses old laptop and AI to stay connected with his mother 24/7

Harsh Savergaonkar uses an old Linux laptop, a large screen and an always-on video call to stay connected with his mother while working away from home. AI-generated scripts help keep the system running, turning everyday technology into a virtual window between them.

What if you could be miles away from home and still have your mother within sight throughout the day? Harsh Savergaonkar has found a simple tech-powered solution, using an old laptop and an always-on video call to stay connected with his mother while working away from home.

The setup was shared online by Harsh, who explained that he placed an old Linux laptop connected to a large screen on the dining table at his home. A video call remains active throughout the day, creating a virtual window between the two despite the distance.

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leaving mom for work was the hardest this time

so i set up an old linux laptop with a big screen on our dining table that stays on a video call 24×7

got claude to write scripts so that if the laptop / browser crashes it rejoins, if the wifi breaks it fixes itself and rejoins, and if it gets switched off she just presses the power button and i’m back

right now i’m somewhere over iceland working and eating, and she’s at home doing her work

we’re not even talking, but every now and then she looks up and i’m there, and i look up and she’s there

and when she gets up at 3am for water, i’ll be on the screen working and she can just say hi before going back to bed

thank you technology ❤️

— Harsh Savergaonkar (@harshsaver) October 4, 2026

The system was designed to keep working even when technical problems arise. Savergaonkar said he used AI assistant Claude to help write scripts that automatically restart the video call if the browser or laptop crashes. The system can also attempt to reconnect after an internet outage.

If the laptop is switched off, his mother only needs to press the power button to restore the connection, he explained.

The setup is not necessarily meant for constant conversation. Instead, mother and son simply go about their routines while remaining visible to one another. Savergaonkar said he could be working or eating somewhere as far away as Iceland while his mother continued with her day back home.

The small moments are what make the arrangement particularly meaningful. They may not speak for long periods, but occasionally one of them looks up at the screen and sees the other person there.

One of the most touching moments comes when his mother wakes up during the night. If she gets up around 3 am to drink water, she can see her son working on the screen, greet him briefly and then return to bed.

“We’re not even talking, but every now and then she looks up and I’m there, and I look up and she’s there,” Harsh wrote.

The unusual use of technology quickly drew attention online, with several users praising the idea and asking how they could create something similar.

“This is beautiful, man! It’s tough living alone in another country, and kudos to you for going on!” one user wrote.

Others asked Savergaonkar to share more details about how he built the system, while some suggested adding features such as alerts when his mother appears on camera during unusual hours or when the two have not acknowledged each other for a while.

Not everyone thought such an elaborate setup was necessary, though. “This is a great idea! But why not use a CCTV or a baby cam?” one user questioned.

Despite the debate over the technology involved, the idea has resonated because of what it represents. Rather than using the screen simply for scheduled calls, the mother and son have created a way to share everyday life from different places.

For them, the constant video feed is less about talking and more about knowing that the other person is there.