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Noodle Pi: The Smallest, Lightest Handheld PC

A full Linux PC in your pocket! With hi-res display, camera, battery, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI and USB.

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Noodle Pi: The Smallest, Lightest Handheld PC

Noodle Pi: The Smallest, Lightest Handheld PC

Noodle Pi: The Smallest, Lightest Handheld PC

Noodle Pi: The Smallest, Lightest Handheld PC

Noodle Pi: The Smallest, Lightest Handheld PC

A full Linux PC in your pocket! With hi-res display, camera, battery, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI and USB.

A full Linux PC in your pocket! With hi-res display, camera, battery, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI and USB.

A full Linux PC in your pocket! With hi-res display, camera, battery, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI and USB.

A full Linux PC in your pocket! With hi-res display, camera, battery, WiFi, Bluetooth, HDMI and USB.

Ashish Gulhati
Ashish Gulhati
Ashish Gulhati
Ashish Gulhati
1 Campaign |
Vancouver, Canada
$17,189 USD by 164 backers
$10,480 USD by 100 backers on Aug 17, 2017 with another platform
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Overview
Noodle Pi is the world's smallest handheld / wearable computer. It integrates a Raspberry Pi Zero, a hi-res touchscreen, camera, battery and power management, all within a slim unibody shell. Four different keyboard docks, an NES game controller dock, two holsters, and a wrist dock make Noodle Pi the most versatile and practical wearable computer ever. The "Noodle Air" version provides air-gapped security for sensitive notes, photos, passwords, private keys, crypto-currency cold storage, etc.

Wouldn't it be awesome to have a full Raspberry Pi based computer in your pocket?

The Raspberry Pi has revolutionized the maker community and the world of DIY computing. But once you add on all the other pieces needed to turn it into a usable computer, you usually end up with either a bunch of separate components connected with cables and wires, or a rather big and clunky box (for most integrated solutions).

What's been missing is a compact, integrated Raspberry Pi based handheld computer, comparable to a modern mobile phone.

Until now.

I've been thinking about such a device for a while, and started working on one last year. After many designs, redesigns and prototypes, the Noodle Pi is finally ready to bring computing freedom to your pocket!

Say Hello to Noodle Pi

Noodle Pi integrates a Raspberry Pi Zero, a high-resolution multi-touch screen, a battery, a power management system, and a camera, all in a super compact device that's good to go anywhere. 

Noodle Pi integrates a beautiful high resolution 3.5" capacitive touchscreen with 800x480 pixels at ~270 PPI, 18-bit color (262,144 colors), and a 60 FPS frame rate.

Noodle Pi also integrates the Raspberry Pi Camera Module v2, for up to 8MP still photos, and 1080p30 / 720p60 / VGA90 video.

Noodle Pi is powered by an internal 500mAh battery. It can be charged via a regular micro-USB charging socket, and there's a red LED to provide a low battery warning.

Strong, Slim, Unibody Design

Noodle Pi's unibody shell is strong and light, with an innovative design that leverages the unique capabilities of 3D printing.

This enables Noodle Pi to pack six separate components, plus connecting wires, into a tiny 93mm x 60mm x 10mm/19mm package. Yes, part of it is only 10mm thick! (The iPhone SE, in comparison, is 7.6mm; the official Pi Zero case is 13mm).

Noodle Pi puts those extra few millimeters to good use. It provides full access to the Pi Zero's USB-OTG and Mini-HDMI ports, so it can be used both as a pocket computer and as a desktop computer. As well as in other configurations. The possibilities are endless!

Despite its super compact size, Noodle Pi is surprisingly strong and sturdy. It feels like a solid, integrated device when you hold it in your hand, not very different from a $900 iPhone.

And, it's available in Jet Black! ;-)

Escape The Walled Garden

Unlike iOS and Android devices, which force you to develop apps in only specific programming languages in a restrictive environment, a Noodle Pi is a full GNU/Linux computer. So you can write apps for it in any language you like.

And once you've written an app for Noodle Pi, you can just release it to the world right away. No need to wait weeks or months for approval to be listed in an app store.

Noodle Pi offers a long overdue escape from the walled gardens mobile computing has been stuck in. It's the mobile device built on free software, reusable components and open platforms. The way computing was meant to be!

One More Thing: Noodle Air

Noodle Pi can be built in two configurations - either using a Pi Zero W, in which case it's a fully connected computer with WiFi and Bluetooth, or using a Pi Zero v1.3, which doesn't include wireless networking capabilities.

When built using a Pi Zero v1.3, it's a whole different gizmo, the Noodle Air, so named because it's an "air-gapped" mobile PC. Noodle Air is effectively invulnerable to snooping or attack over the Internet, as the device doesn't (and cannot, without external hardware) connect to any networks.

In these days of pervasive surveillance and malware, an indispensable piece of kit everyone needs is an air-gapped computer that is never connected to any networks. Noodle Air is that computer.

A Noodle Air enables easy and cost-effective air-gapped security for password storage, crypto-currency cold-storage, secure backups, private notes and photos, and so on. Just be sure never to connect it to any networks, and to keep your MicroSD card physically secure at all times.

One Device, Unlimited Users

In fact, because the Noodle Pi runs entirely off the MicroSD card, a single Noodle Pi or Noodle Air can easily be securely shared by any number of people. Everyone just keeps their own private system on their own MicroSD card.

This enables libraries, schools, etc. to provide shared access to devices that many people can use without compromising privacy or security.

Accessories

I've developed a number of accessories for Noodle Pi as well. They are:

  • Splash-Resistant Case
  • Belt Holster
  • Clip Holster
  • Noodle Key Micro - Micro Keyboard + Touchpad Dock
  • Noodle Key Micro+ - Alternate Micro Keyboard + Touchpad Dock
  • Noodle Key Mini - Mini Keyboard + Touchpad Dock
  • Noodlendo NES game controller dock
  • Noodle Wrist watch strap dock

More details on some of these:

The Noodle Key Micro dock enables docking the Noodle Pi with a tiny RF keyboard and touchpad. I made sure to select a backlit mini-keyboard for the Noodle Key Micro, so you can keep working in low light conditions. The keyboard is readily available on Amazon.

The Noodle Key Micro docked with a micro-keyboard+touchpad makes all the difference when you don't want to waste precious screen space on an on-screen keyboard, and want to work fast. Perfect for writing code or articles on your Noodle Pi, or administering servers using ssh.

Noodle Key Micro holds the Noodle Pi secure while docked, and easily disconnects from the Noodle Pi and the keyboard when not needed. It's tiny, light, and easy to carry around in a pocket, just like the Noodle Pi and the mini keyboard.

After using a prototype Noodle Pi with the micro-keyboard Noodle Key Micro dock for a while, I realized that although it's perfect for quick on-the-go sysadmin things, it's not quite optimal when you want to write text or code really fast. So for that, there's now the Noodle Key Mini dock! 

The Noodle Key Mini docks with a folding bluetooth keyboard+trackpad (readily available on Amazon) which, when folded, isn't much bigger than the smaller micro-keyboard+touchpad, yet folds out to a very reasonably sized keyboard that's perfectly suited for working at full speed.

How awesome is that?

But hey.. it's not all work in Noodle Pi land. When all the sysadmin stuff has been taken care of, and all the code, documentation and articles have been committed to their repositories, it's time to let the hair down and shoot up some aliens!

That's when we pop on the Noodlendo dock!

And here's one more awesome accessory: the Noodle Wrist watch strap dock! Just attach your favorite 22mm watch strap and wear Noodle Pi on your wrist!

There's also one more important accessory: an HDMI Ribbon Cable. You'll need this if you want to use the HDMI output on Noodle Pi. The space around the connector is very restricted and regular HDMI cables will not fit there.

Some Assembly Required

Noodle Pi is a DIY computer. You have to put it together yourself. This is easy and fun to do, and takes about half an hour. No soldering required. You don't even need a screwdriver.

You can also take Noodle Pi apart just as easily, which means you can swap in replacement parts or upgraded components at any time. So when the next version of the Pi Zero is released you will just be able to swap in the new Pi Zero (as long as its shape / size is the same, which is most likely), and upgrade your Noodle Pi in a few minutes!

The Noodle Pi kit includes all the parts you need to put the computer together, except the electronic components and battery. You will need to purchase these components from the sources listed below.

If you'd like a complete pre-assembled Noodle Pi you can pre-order one from the Noodle Pi website.

These are the parts you'll need to buy:

1. Raspberry Pi Zero and Pi Camera Module v2. These are available from many sources. A full list of distributors can be found here. Both Pimoroni and Adafruit (who manufacture some of the other components needed) also sell the Pi Zero and the Camera Module. 

Adafruit: Pi Zero + camera bundles

Pimoroni: Pi Zero or Pi Zero W and Camera

2. Pimoroni HyperPixel PIM297 Display

[UPDATE 08.2018 - NOTE that Pimoroni has discontinued the PIM297 HyperPixel 3.5" display needed to assemble Noodle Pi. The new PIM370 HyperPixel 4.0 display is not compatible with the Noodle Pi kit. You may still be able to find the odd HyperPixel 3.5" display on eBay. I will update this page when I have a new version of Noodle Pi ready for launch. You can also subscribe to the Noodle Pi mailing list, from http://noodlepi.com/mailinglist.]

3. Adafruit 500mA LiPo Battery

4. Adafruit PowerBoost 1000C

5. Pimoroni Hammer Header (Male) with Installation Jig. Both Pimoroni and Adafruit sell this.

You'll also need a hammer to install the hammer header onto the Pi Zero. And a flush wire cutter (a nail clipper will also work) to clip the header pins on the underside of the Pi Zero so they don't stick out from the board too much.

If you're happy to solder on a regular header you could do that instead, or course. The hammer header is just a lot easier and faster to install.

Pi Supply now also sells Pi Zero Ws with pre-soldered-on headers. If you get one of these you don't need the hammer header, or the hammer.

Everything else you need to put the Noodle Pi together will be in the kit. That will include: the shell, a mini on/off switch, a few more important parts, a pre-folded pi zero camera cable, a micro-USB-OTG adapter, and details on how to put everything together. 

Featured On

                                Click here for Press Kit

 

Noodle Pi was recently reviewed and featured on two episodes of The Lunduke Show, which you can watch below.

Noodle Pi Review:

Comparison of five hand-held Linux devices:

 

History

I've been working on building a practical GNU/Linux wearable computer for over 17 years, so this is quite a long story.

Originally, the main motivation was to be able to work (i.e. write code, documentation, etc.) more comfortably and more hours in a day. I wanted to be able to work equally comfortably while standing, sitting or lying down, or walking around. And also to have a fully functional computer on me at all times.

A wearable computer with a head-mounted display (HMD), running a free OS such as GNU/Linux or OpenBSD sounded like just the thing I needed, so that was the goal.

Sometime around year 2000 I installed GNU/Linux on a Compaq iPaq, and that was my first GNU/Linux handheld. I used it a lot, for all sorts of work, while traveling in the Himalayas and connecting to the 'net over dialup from pay phones (known as "PCOs" in India).

My first working wearable with an HMD was in 2001, a Sony VAIO Picturebook hooked up to a Daeyang CyVisor, which I later sawed in half to make a monocular display, so I could still see my surroundings while wearing it.

The Picturebook's video output wasn't directly compatible with the CyVisor, so I also had to throw in a KVM switch in there which fixed the VGA output for the CyVisor. The input device was a Twiddler, which didn't come in a USB version at the time, so there were more cables and adapters to convert from PS/2 to USB.

All those cables and separate components went in a slim Rollerblade backpack. It ended up looking a bit like HP's new wearable workstation. The batteries on the Picturebook and the CyVisor didn't last long, so it wasn't the most usable system. Nevertheless, I did use it quite a bit. I remember using it to work on code while accompanying a friend grocery shopping in Montreal.

It didn't take long for me to come to the conclusion that HMD technology had a ways to go and so I spent much of the next decade using small GNU/Linux and OpenBSD handhelds, primarily the Sharp Zaurus SL-C3x00 and Nokia N800 and N810. When the iPhone came out I was a late adopter (didn't get one till 2009) because the Zaurus and N810 had higher resolution screens and ran GNU/Linux / OpenBSD.

I did keep trying different HMDs over the years, including the Xybernaut Poma (which ran WinCE - horrible! only use I had for it was to read PDFs and VNC out to a real machine), the super-difficult-to-get-hold-of TacEye LT (more on that below), the Micro-Optical MD-6, and the Sony Glasstron PLM-S700E, which still feels like something from the future!

Eventually, I did get an iPod Touch, and then an iPhone. I still held on to my Zaurus for emergency sysadmin work on the go, and got many new tiny laptops from Fujitsu and Sony, and a Nokia N9, an N900 and an N950.

But none of these quite hit the spot. The iPhone was a huge step forward in wearable computers, with its revolutionary touch interface, but also a huge step back, being a walled garden, and closed off to most free software tools. Nokia had an awesome GNU/Linux based platform that could really have taken over the world, but Nokia decided to self-destruct. And the Zaurus, although the most usable of the lot, was still too small and fiddly, and didn't have backlit keys or built-in WiFi or Bluetooth.

Then in 2012 I got a Raspberry Pi. I also had a Tac-Eye LT by then, so of course I immediately created a Pi-based wearable with the two. The Pi outputs HDMI, and the Tac-Eye LT uses VGA, so some more adapters had to be researched and tested, and eventually one worked.

This was the smallest HMD-equipped wearable I'd made till then. But it still wasn't that practical. And my Pi had trouble using multiple USB devices at the same time. It seemed to be a common issue with 1st gen Pis.

Some of the variations of this wearable (photos below) allowed for hot-swappable external batteries, so they could be used uninterrupted for any length of time without needing to be tethered to an AC outlet. This was something I'd sorely missed in my Picturebook based wearable. 

Happy to say, Noodle Pi provides this ability too. Thanks to its internal battery and 5V charging, it can be charged via small external USB battery packs which can be hot-swapped as needed to achieve unlimited mobile battery life.

In 2014 I got a Google Glass XE, and although it ran a horribly old and limited version of Android, it was a massive leap forward in terms of size, weight, and ergonomics. It's natively not much more useful than the WinCE based Xybernaut Poma (except for being a much better GoPro than a GoPro) so I immediately installed a VNC app and hacked up a connection to the Zaurus. And that was my first OpenBSD wearable with an HMD.

But a software update removed Glass's ability to use a bluetooth keyboard and mouse, and again my plans were thwarted! (This functionality is back in the latest Glass software update, so I plan to give it another go soon). Another problem with the Google Glass is that it gets pretty hot while you're wearing it. I worry about the radiation it may be frying my brain with. Plus it's super expensive and not easy to carry around.

All those problems were solved by a revolutionary Kickstarter in 2015 - Vufine. Their monocular HMD does everything right - it's just an HMD, with a small integrated battery, and no integrated underpowered, overpriced, overheating computer. And HDMI input so you can hook up any computer, including a little Pi or a Pi Zero!

I backed it immediately, and as soon as I had my Vufine, I started prototyping various wearables with it. In late 2014 I'd also resumed work on an old idea for end-to-end provably unsnoopable messaging that I had back in the early 2000s, but had put on hold. When I resumed work on this in 2014, I thought I'd write it as an iOS app, but when I tried to learn iOS programming I found it extremely tedious, and I also wasn't so keen on the idea of having to get my app approved by Apple (and the possibility of it not being approved).

But there didn't seem any other option, so I kept trying to learn iOS programming, which was made problematic by the fact that XCode and iOS kept going through compatibility-breaking updates, and then my MacBook Air had a malfunction and had to go in for repairs, and of course you can't code an iOS app on anything other than a Mac.

Then in July 2016 I had another idea.. what if I made a Raspberry Pi based handheld? Then I could write my Unsnoopable app in Perl, my preferred programming language!

And that's when Noodle Pi was conceived. I worked on a number of prototypes, which used various touchscreen displays, mostly from Adafruit. I ended up destroying many touchscreens in the process of trying to slim down the device as much as possible.

In December 2016, I realized I could use Noodle Pi for another of my very old on-hold software projects, which I didn't relish trying to write for iOS, and whose fate I was not OK to leave up to Apple's whims. This was HashCash, a digital cash system I've been working on since the late 90s.

Once I realized Noodle Pi would be perfect for HashCash as well, I fired up Emacs, pulled out my dusty old HashCash code, and got to work. The next six months I barely had any time to eat and sleep, between writing HashCash and working on Noodle Pi prototypes.

Finally, in June 2017, I released a beta of HashCash and Unsnoopable, and just around that time I received an email announcing the release of the Pimoroni HyperPixel display. A quick look at the specs revealed this would be the perfect screen for Noodle Pi, but by the time I got to Pimoroni's site the display had already sold out! I clicked to be notified when it was back in stock, and I was, but it sold out again within a few hours, and I had to wait for it to come back into stock a second time before I could get hold of a few of them.

A few days later the displays finally arrived, and after another multi-week storm of redesigning and prototyping (I was literally designing prototypes in my dreams while sleeping!) I held a fully functional, awesome Noodle Pi in my hand!

As you can too. Order yours now!

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Pro Kit

$89 USD $110 USD (19% off)
One Noodle Pi kit, with 3D printed shell and other parts to put together your own Noodle Pi. Note that you will need to purchase the electronic components separately (see project description). No soldering required for assembly. This kit also includes one dock, either a holster or a splash-resistant case, and an HDMI ribbon cable.
Included Items
  • Noodle Pi Kit (no electronics)
  • HDMI ribbon cable
  • One dock of your choice
  • Case or Holster
Estimated Shipping
Original: March 2018
Current: November 2018
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