The Interrupt Is a Grown-Up Flipper Zero, Powered by a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
A full Linux system in your pocket, Interrupt Tech promises, with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, sub-gigahertz, NFC, RFID, and IR connectivity.
Oklahoma-based startup Interrupt Tech is looking to take on the popular Flipper Zero with a larger, more powerful take on the sub-gigahertz radio multi-tool: the Interrupt.
"Interrupt is a compact, versatile device engineered for cybersecurity experts and technology enthusiasts, boasting a playful, gadget-like design," says Interrupt Tech's Harry DeBee of the company's inaugural product. "Interrupt aims to revolutionize the landscape of prototyping, technological investigation, and security assessments. It's about offering a sleek, multifunctional platform to cater to any prototyping, hardware exploration, or penetration testing needs as well as provide a little fun."
The compact Interrupt, which features a physical QWERTY keyboard and gamepad-like controls below a 3.5" color touchscreen display, is inspired in core functionality if not form factor by the Flipper Zero: it includes a sub-gigahertz radio module, infrared transceiver, near-field communication (NFC) and radio-frequency identification (RFID) technology, as well as general-purpose input/output (GPIO) pins for interfacing with wired hardware.
Where the Flipper Zero uses a microcontroller running a custom firmware, though, the Interrupt is a fully-functional Linux handheld: "No need for external computers," DeBee promises, "just fire up the device and launch your favorite tools."
The secret: inside the custom housing is a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W single-board computer, providing both more computational capabilities than the Flipper Zero and also Wi-Fi connectivity. The Interrupt's operating system is, at the time of writing, stock Raspberry Pi OS, but DeBee promises a custom graphical interface sitting on top of "a streamlined, custom Linux environment built specifically for the device," which aims to provide easy access to the various radios and other features of the hardware. The Raspberry Pi's microSD Card slot is also brought out at the side of the device, for easy storage expansion.
Interrupt Tech is currently crowdfunding production of its eponymous device on Kickstarter, starting at $179 for early bird backers; all hardware is expected to ship in August this year, the company says.