This isn’t your average Raspberry Pi cyberdeck; it’s a survival deck that doubles as a working mobile weather station. It was created by a maker known as Techno-recluse, who dubs the project ARK-io, short for Apocalypse Repository of Knowledge - input/output.
The initial idea was to create a weather station, but Raspberry Pis are capable devices, and it wasn’t long before the project evolved into an emergency survival kit. In a pinch, it can charge devices, scan for radio signals, and even provide access to an archive of survival/medical-based documents.
It’s housed inside an ammunition box fitted with a custom 3D printed frame for mounting the hardware. Everything is powered by a Raspberry Pi 3B connected to various sensors and modules, including an NESDR wideband RF receiver, a BME280 module (used for detecting pressure, humidity, temperature, etc.), and a BN-220 GPS/GLONASS module.
There are plenty more components thrown into the mix ranging from a USB hub to a voltmeter, that lends to its use as a survival deck. According to Techno-recluse, the ARK-io can directly decode NOAA satellite data used for weather prediction. It has a built-in 5-port switch and even runs Kali for a bit of penetration testing on the side.
The design for the ARK-io is overall very well-done with a clean and somewhat retro finish. To get a closer look at the system, check out the original thread shared to Reddit and be sure to follow Techno-recluse for more cool projects.
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Ash Hill is a contributing writer for Tom's Hardware with a wealth of experience in the hobby electronics, 3D printing and PCs. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting while also finding the best coupons and deals on all tech.
