Ubo Pod Simplifies Headless Raspberry Pi Installations

We love Raspberry Pi’s line of single-board computers, as they provide all the processing power of a real computer in a package small enough for applications typically reserved for embedded devices. But in those situations, it makes sense to run the Raspberry Pi as a “headless” computer without a monitor, keyboard, or mouse attached. That makes it difficult to interact with the Raspberry Pi without some kind of remote connection. Ubo Pod promises to simplify this by providing a streamlined and intuitive interface for headless Raspberry Pi installations.

Ubo Pod is a self-contained device package that includes everything a developer might need to deploy a headless Raspberry Pi SBC as a standalone device. Just plug in the power adapter and it is ready to go. But unlike a simple enclosure, Ubo Pod has the hardware necessary for a simple user interface and a whole bunch of optional add-ons.

This all starts with the top panel, available in a nice wood veneer. That has a full-color 1.54” 240×240 TFT display, seven buttons, a diffused outer ring of RGB LEDs, an infrared receiver, a microphone (with physical disconnect switch), and a light sensor. This gives end users the ability to interact with the Raspberry Pi. For example, a user can take advantage of the display and keypad to enter WiFi credentials after deployment. It is even possible to install Docker container apps through this interface.

And, of course, it is fully customizable, so developers can use the hardware for any other functionality they want to implement. The plan is to provide an SDK with various software integrations, UI elements, and drop-in GUI widgets. Developers can then mix-and-match to create the right interface for the job.

But there are also optional hardware modules that developers can add as part of the hardware development kit to expand the capability of the Raspberry Pi SBC. Those include the official Raspberry Pi camera, an internal radio dongle, a port expansion board, an active cooler, a PCIe M.2 adapter for an NVMe SSD or Google Coral TPU, and a speaker.

There is a lot to like here, but Ubo Pod isn’t available for purchase quite yet. Ubo Pod will launch soon on Crowd Supply to raise funds for production. There isn’t any information available on the price or the release date at this time, so be sure to sign up for updates if you’re interested in this project.