One of the most fascinating aspects of the cyberdeck universe is that it will never be Cyberdeck Handheld by Nicholas LaBonte, who was inspired by the uConsole project to create a cyberdeck with an integrated SDR module, a wooden case, and a fantastic bronze heatsink installed on the Raspberry Pi. As if that weren't enough, he also built a keyboard from scratch, with engraved keys.
Following a project to the letter can simplify its development, but sooner or later there will always be that modification that adapts it to your desires and needs. A button here, a switch there, a potentiometer to control volume or scrolling, smaller screens, larger batteries... there's a lot to explore and combine.
Now, Nicholas LaBonte took the personalization of his cyberdeck very seriously, and the final result is excellent. Taking as a reference the uConsole project, his Cyberdeck Handheld successfully blends functionality and elegance, to the point that several online comments call for the release of a kit.
Cyberdeck Handheld: Raspberry Pi + SDR + Wood + Bronze
The top cover uses a material called Richlite (essentially cellulose and phenolic resin), while the rest of the case appears to be sapeli wood (or one of the seventeen variants that share its name). Both pieces reached their final form with the help of a Nomad 3 (desktop CNC), but that's not all: the keyboard features engraved keys on a sheet of Gravotech Metallex, and the Raspberry Pi 5 heatsink was born from a piece of bronze that received a lot of attention.
Once we move inside, we find a custom PCB for the keyboard (a combination of ATMega32U4 and the QMK firmware), a Waveshare screen, a PSP joystick that acts as a mouse, a UPS module (also from Waveshare, with three 18650 cells), and software-defined radio. The Raspberry Pi 5 received a small mod, losing two USB ports to make room for the power button, but Nicholas used its pads for the keyboard and radio connections.
It looks great, however, there are still things to resolve. Despite the bronze heatsink, the Raspberry Pi gets too hot, and it's most likely that the second version of the Cyberdeck Handheld will use active cooling. Another future possibility is the installation of a camera, a GPS, or a 4G module, although in those cases it will need a USB hub.
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