PiP-Boy 2000 Build Goes For Function Over Form

 

[Daniel] wrote in to tell us about his PIP-Boy 2000 prototype. While most PIP-Boy remakes we’ve seen tend to be focusing more on the aesthetic side, like a prop, [Daniel] is attempting to make a functional one. He has included a GPS sensor, RFID reader,  and radiation detector in his build but did choose to stick with the familiar PIP-Boy visual theme in the menus. He has a very long way to go if he wants it to do everything the PIP-Boy from Fallout did, but his list of semi-functional features is growing steadily.

Currently there are the basic functions of:

  • automapping and waypoint navigation
  • external PC interface
  • inventory status and item recognition (using RFID)
  • player experience (adds experience as you go to new locations)
  • ambient radiation
  • screensaver

Let us know when you get that sucker to stop time [Daniel]

14 thoughts on “PiP-Boy 2000 Build Goes For Function Over Form

  1. This device is very cool. He could add am/fm Radio. Shouldn’t he that hard considering what he already did. Maybe even mp3. For listening go all that audiodiarys you find in the wastelands. Also a heartbeat Monitor would be awesome in the health Status menu. But i guess that would be easier if it actually was a device to wear at your arm

    1. Those are some excellent ideas. Didn’t the PIP-Boy have a torch in it too? Makes me really want to try and build one myself, then possibly get in touch with someone who’s made an aesthetically accurate version and combine the two – Short of V.A.T.S and a few other minor bits, you’d probably be approaching complete realism there. I want one! ^.^

      1. I believe all the really amazing form over function ones have used an ipod touch or similar. It would be great to use an android that is rooted. Using usb input could lead to a hub with various compatible sensors.

        It would come stock with bluetooth, wifi, gps, two way communications, (internet) radio, touch screen, processing, and massive data storage. The big clunky bits would be the radiation detection and health monitoring. Hardware radio and rfid can be quite compact. Oh and you can always make the screen white for the torch. Alternatively use a device that has an actual light for taking video.

        Already it can start to expand beyond what a pip-boy can do. The hard part of course is the drivers/universal input api.

      2. The pipboys had CRT displays where you could turn the contrast way down and the brightness up so it would glow to the point you could see but that’s as close as any of them came to having a torch.

  2. Wow wow wow! I’m so glad to be featured on Hack A Day! Geek dream come true!

    @MGTJ91 That’s the plan! If you read through the build, you can see the list of features I plan on adding and how I will add them.

    @Wil Yes it does! In the game the torch is actually just the screen set into a full color “overbright” mode. This feature is included if you watch the video, I cant make the LCD any brighter, but it actually makes a room dim enough to get around

    @Slurms Yes, I do plan on adding those too, the case was design with extra space to add more modules

    @KillerBug, the point was to make something cool for myself, I need no more reasons ;)

    @bio I’m more fond of the model 3000, so that’s my ultimate goal

    1. Yeah, I’ve watched that video quite a few times. Unfortunately, that guy refuses to release his source code :/

      Also, at no point in time will I be using an android or iDevice to build my PIP-Boys. However fully featured they may be, I love building my own hardware and prefer it greatly over programming. So I won’t be taking the easy way out. I want to grow more competent as a hardware engineer.

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