Maker Billy O’Sullivan with Shed Tech is kicking portable Raspberry Pi projects up a notch with his wearable i2c sensor platform. This on-the-go Pi system was made from scratch by O’Sullivan and is affectionately dubbed the Armatron (which is unrelated to the robotic arm of the same name once sold by RadioShack).
According to O’Sullivan, his project was heavily inspired by the Fallout video game franchise in which the main characters always have a device on their arms known as Pip-Boys. We’ve even covered a few Pi-powered Pip-Boy projects in the past including this Pip-Boy replica and this RP2040-powered Pip-Boy. However, the Armatron features a totally custom design with its own array of unique features.
Instead of monitoring game stats or adjusting menu options, this wearable platform provides i2c access for developing projects in real life with the added benefit of a full-blown Linux OS. Users can plug in a number of sensors and monitor data using its OLED display.
The housing is 3D-printed and designed specifically for the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 using Fusion 360. There are three available i2c ports that can be used to attach sensors. In the video, O’Sullivan demonstrates support for a GPS module, environment sensor and more. Users can also remove the Armatron from the wrist band easily as it attaches magnetically, snapping into place as needed.
O’Sullivan made the project open source and shares his progress over at GitHub for anyone interested in perusing the source code. It’s based on Raspberry Pi OS, adding a few tools that will interact with the platform and its various modules. Expanding its support for additional sensors requires familiarity with Python but is also possible.
If you want to make this Raspberry Pi project for yourself or just get a closer look at how it goes together, check out the original video shared to YouTube by O’Sullivan. The 3D-printable files are available at Printables for download, as well. Be sure to follow Billy O’Sullivan at Shed Tech for more projects and any future updates to this one.
