Omar Mohammed's Raspberry Pi-Powered 3D-Printed Tablet Build Is Robust Yet Minimalist
Built with a desire for enhanced privacy and greater control over electronic devices, this homebrew tablet is fully functional.
Engineer and doctor of machine learning Omar Mohammed has put together a custom tablet computer, inspired by a desire for greater control — and driven by a Raspberry Pi single-board computer hidden inside.
"I’ve been thinking a lot about privacy and security (for the electronic tools). Even though we know about that these devices (phones in particular) collects huge amount of data through their sensors about me, it seems I am powerless to do anything about it. So, at the moment, I am in the mindset of: let’s stop it at the source," Mohammed explains.
"One of these project is to make my own tablet/lightweight laptop. A big motivation is that I need an e-reader. My book situation at the moment is super critical. I wasn’t really satisfied [with] any e-reader I found in the market."
The solution: A custom-built tablet, made from off-the-shelf parts in a 3D printed housing. Behind a 10.1" touch-screen display is a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B single-board computer and some clever cabling — but not, oddly, a battery.
"After so many brainstorming sessions and discussions with my flatmates, I finally decided… to not attach the battery," Mohammed says. "It was heavy (thus, a lot to think about in the design of its holder) and I wasn't yet so sure yet where this whole project is going. Plus, it didn’t see to be a big deal to have the battery separated. It allowed for plugging in to the electric socket quite easily when at home, when battery is not needed (thus, saving the battery’s life)."
The finished system, which can be sat in 3D-printed supports for comfortable use with a Bluetooth keyboard, is thus powered by an external 20Ah USB battery pack. It also proved robust enough for portable use: "I hesitated on [using it outside] a lot," Mohammed admits. "But finally, I did. The only thing that had to be dismantled with the screen USB connection to the Raspberry Pi (otherwise, there will be too much pressure on this part)."
"The whole thing WORKED. I was super happy. Easy to setup, convenient to work with. I went many times for coffee shops. Even did a lot of small [coding] on it. I was more happy when I came home, and it still worked fine."
A full write-up of the project is available on Mohammed's blog, along with a suggestion of his next project in the pipeline: To make a smartphone.