The Raspberry Pi line of single-board computers are remarkably useful things, but they generally require some accessories to be hooked up to become a useful computing platform. [Ramin Assadollahi] wanted a pocket-sized computer to work on without the distractions so common on smartphones, so whipped up the PocketPi to do the job.
It’s a testament to the popularity of the Raspberry Pi platform that [Ramin] was able to put this project together with so many off-the-shelf parts. A Pi Zero W was chosen for its compact size, while a HyperPixel 4.0 screen was chosen for its high resolution in a small package. These parts were combined with a 3000 mAh battery, Adafruit Powerboost 1000C and a small USB keyboard and hub. It’s all wrapped up in a tidy 3D printed package, giving the pocket-sized computer a classic late-1980s look, albeit with much more horsepower under the hood.
It looks like a fun and useful machine to have when out and about, and the full QWERTY keyboard makes input easy. We’ve seen [Ramin]’s work before – with last year’s StickPi implementing an e-paper display. Video after the break.
It is a neat project, but man, that is some seriously coarse 3d printing…
Presumably it was set to “I’m prototyping print this in super quick mode”
Well, at least one can get a good grip on it!
somehow they manage to make a print that simultaneously under extrudes and over extrudes. :)
yes, exactly. the the motor was under extruding and i was compensating via settings to over-extrude… i needed to get that print done the night before we went on holidays to take the pocketpi with me…
did you take this on a plane? any issues with security?
Yes, Naval. Security was fine with it. It was lying next to the Switch and the tablet of my sons. (This is why the print looks so crappy: I printed the last version before holidays the night before flying…)
yeah, actually after printing the top shell, the extruder stepper driver died. the replacement arrived today…
Love the 80’s aesthetic, you going to reprint the case to smooth is out?
yes, just re-constructed my printer, hope to fine tune it this weekend.
yes – someone please get this guy a decent case – great build though :)
it’s more about a decent printer :-)
In for a redesign around the NanoPi Duo 2 or a NanoPi Neo 2. (Quad core A7 or a53)
yeah, have been thinking about this. question is whether these boards still overheat. i’ve read that armbian has some fix for the overheating. then it would be a matter of getting the hyperpixel driver running on these boards.
actually those two don’t have the pi gpio. i’d rather go for NanoPi 2 Fire that seems to have that connector and also a Samsung ARM chip.
This is brilliant. I’ve been thinking about making a device like this for a while
my blog contains the building log, STL files and parts list. let me know how it goes!
All these raspi tablets and laptop builds coming out recently. They look like fun, I think I’d better start collecting ideas like this. Kinda reminds me of those old Toughbook tablets, like the CF-H1.
yes, the pi and all the components around it are a wonderful ecosystem to experiment with different form factors.
my project is transplanting a pi zero w into an old HP95LX its mostly done. just need assembling
What about pocket chip, they relase that thinny thing like 4 years ago.
Is this the same…
They also folded as a company about a year and a half ago…
Unlike most devices of its type, I can think of practical uses for this one, especially with a slightly wider screen. The clamshell design model is overrated for small stuff like this,.
I have to disagree about the clamshell design. It’s not overrated, it’s just under-implemented.
All the Pi clamshells I have seen are missing an important feature. They don’t twist. The first one I saw to do this right was the later Sharp Zaurus models. The screen is touch and it can be twisted around and folded back over the keyboard making it just like a small tablet or a cellphone.
https://www.zdnet.com/product/sharp-zaurus-sl-c860/
i would assume that the flat cable would break after twisting a couple of times. i have been thinking about a hinge that le’s you fold the display 180 degrees and then switch off the keyboard (on the pocketpi, you can also switch off the keyboard).
Speaking of Sharp’s, the best form factor I ever saw for a pocket computer was the Zaurus SL-5500. I had one and absolutely loved it. I wonder if I could figure out a way to make a case like that for my phone that included a keyboard…
love the project!!!
I would like an rpi phone but nobody thought to create a graphical interface usable on debian …
using android becomes more and more a nuisance
i’m completely with you. there’s QT also running on debian, afaik symbian was also using QT….
Back in the late 1990’s I was a Field Technician for a company called Technology Service and Solutions owned by IBM and Kodak and we used Motorola brick like this (slightly older tho) http://www.vatortrader.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=4694
which were replaced by a clamshell device from a company called Research In Motion (see below) and this , in a sense, is a spiritual successor
https://assets.sbnation.com/assets/961756/pager-300.jpeg
i love that motorola design! i actually have a TRS-80 10 at home which i LOVE: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TRS-80_Model_100 the keyboard is great, the batteries last weeks and they keep the RAM alive while the computer is powered off.
I had one of those for awhile. It was a fun computer.
and thus a blackberry was born – i.e. research in motion is best known for their blackberries – and that looks like a direct antecendent.
It looks like the Canon X-07 but with a better screen
i also have an old CASIO at home. just love the form factor. however, the pocketpi is only 15mm in height.
I want a flat tablet with split qwerty keyboard device to pull out of my bag fire up and Tinker on. My hurdles to start this project are building a USB battery bank bms that reports like a ups to the pi and a circuit for current monitoring on the fly to like tell me if I hooked other crap to it wrong etc.
we’re talking this little guy here? https://blog.adafruit.com/2017/05/21/maker-faire-bay-area-2017-commute-deck-rpi-workstation-makerfaire-raspberrypi/
Might just tackle his Project with a latte panda since I grabbed all the good bits from the Kickstart project. Case lcd and such. Just gotta diy a windows compatible ups diy solution
You could find a powerbank that gives you a pass-through technology which would work as a ups. Not many around in Europe but plenty in US.
Exactly what it sounds like? It sounds like someone who was stoned tried to save some pie for later!