It was an easy decision to run a Cyberdeck Challenge in 2023 — after all, it was one of our most popular contests from last year. But what was much more difficult was sorting through the incredible array of custom PCs that readers have been sending in over the past few months.
Our judges painstakingly whittled down the list of entries to select the top three winners, who will each receive $150 in credit from the good folks at DigiKey. But there were simply too many fantastic custom PCs in the running to let everyone else go home empty-handed, so we thought we’d also throw in some $50 Tindie gift cards for the decks that best exemplify this year’s special categories.
Without further ado, let’s take a tour of the judges’ top picks for this year’s Cyberdeck Challenge!
First place: Zvychai One
But really, is it any wonder? This gorgeous build totally nails the cyberpunk aesthetic while also being a great computing and hacking device in its own right. Read also : Army FVL fleet signs Collins Aerospace for mission system solution. The basic specs are about what you’d expect from a DIY cyberdeck, with a Raspberry Pi 4 connected to a small mechanical keyboard and LCD panel.
Where the Zvychai One really shines is its expandability, as the 3D printed case features multiple ports and openings to accommodate additional hardware such as sensors and displays. There’s also a rail-mounting system that allows larger modules to be securely attached, such as the RTL-SDR ‘caddy’, which features a smart folding antenna.
Second Place: Micro-PC
While some entries in this year’s Cyberdeck Challenge leaned heavily on the more fantastical elements of cyberpunk culture, others instead turned their attention to everyday practicality. Of these our judges consider that Micro-computer from [Matt Deeds] managed to hit the target the best.
Basically, it’s a small computer mounted on a board. Specifically, an Intel Alder Lake N100 NUC attached to a piece of laser-cut acrylic. On the same subject : PLA tries to buy AV products. Chinese surveillance of Uyghurs. Panda Stealer vs. cryptowallets. Peleton’s API. VDP expanded.. Right out of the gate, that means there is way more processing power than anything powered by the ~$100 single-board ARM PCs we typically see at the heart of these builds. But that also means it’s very power-hungry, so it’s got a powerful 65W 20,000mAh battery along for the ride to keep it well-powered. With the addition of a tiltable 5.5-inch 1920×1080 IPS display in a 3D-printed bezel, it’s capable of delivering desktop-class performance wherever your hacking adventures take you.
Although it may be a little simplistic from a technical point of view, the Micro-PC is a great example of how a collection of high-tech gadgets can be combined into a device that meets the needs of a specific user – one of the main tenets of the cyberdeca movement.
Third place: TOP_LAP
While we typically think of the Cyberdeck as having a unique form factor that sets it apart from commercially available offerings, it’s hard to deny the phenomenal portability of the classic clamshell laptop. But while the appearance of [Ethan Russell]TOP_LAP on it may look surprisingly traditional, the interior is anything but.
Built from laser-cut steel, this heavy-duty machine has enough onboard space for a micro-ATX motherboard, a 7.3Ah battery originally intended for the Freefly Astro commercial drone, and a massive 24-inch LCD display. To see also : CODAN ACHIEVES 2G ALE JITC COMPLIANCE FOR SENTRY-H … – AsiaOne. When you have to add gas struts just to keep your laptop lid open, you know things are getting serious.
A particularly nice touch is the custom STM32F091 board that communicates with the drone’s batteries via CAN. As you might expect, given the $20,000+ drone they’re designed under, the batteries in question are pretty advanced and require some degree of sweet talking to get them to work. Fortunately, Freefly published their CAN protocol publicly (what a concept!), which it did [Ethan]the job is much easier.
Honorable Mention: Red V2
But despite everything that’s changed, one thing remains the same: this deck is full of electronic hacking equipment. The built-in Digilent Analog Discovery 2 provides not only a two-channel 30 MHz oscilloscope, but also a function generator, logic analyzer and voltmeter. It also features a Great Scott Hack RF One software-defined radio, a removable breadboard, and a short-focus projector that lets you turn any flat surface into a second monitor.
Special categories
This year we had four neuromaniac inspired special categories that gave creators something extra to strive for. While entries weren’t required to consider any of these categories, we asked our judges to keep them in mind as they reviewed each deck and had them nominate what they thought were the best examples.
Ice breaker
The Oni Mobile Command Center by [Brent] is a perfect example of this principle. While it’s undeniably a great looking piece of equipment, its integrated GPS, RTL-SDR and FM transmitter make it uniquely equipped for radio experimentation and research. It also has a wide range of penetration testing tools, and its dual displays can help monitor multiple processes at once more easily.
Even in a competition as close as this, finding room for [Garra]CyberSecDeck-001 on was a particular challenge. As one commenter put it on the project page, in many ways this is the archetypal cyber deck. But ultimately, the judges were most impressed by the remarkable practicality of this particular deck.
Although it still looks like something from Gibson’s imagination, [Garra] designed to be a reliable workhorse. Its rugged case looks like it can take a decent beating, especially with the redesigned cabinet handles acting as a protective cage to protect the keyboard and screen. It also features a pair of Picatinny rails (also known as MIL-STD-1913 by the US military) that allow quick and easy attachment of both custom and commercially available modules.
ROM build
Of all the entries this year, North American Cyberarms Cyberdeck by [Patrick Tait] was the most obvious choice for this particular category. The physical user interface of this machine, a combination of a 10-key board and a wireless mouse, is so crazy that we bet the average passer-by would assume it can’t even do general calculations. But if you’re in the mood, this highly portable machine is a great companion for distraction-free typing and programming.
Likewise, you’d have to be a true Console Cowboy to argue [RobsonCouto]Portable terminal KOAT0. While at least this machine gives you a full keyboard, its vacuum fluorescent display only gives the user a particularly meager 256 x 48 to work with. It’s workable—it’s enough pixels to score a few console lines, and it’s even capable of rudimentary graphics—but it’s not going to be anyone’s first choice in 2023. On the other hand, it’s absolutely gorgeous.
Dex dealer
While canonically there’s nothing that really says a cyberdeck has to be mobile, there’s certainly a trend in the community to seek some element of portability. But the problem is finding a way to reasonably power those machines while you’re out and about. For this category, judges were looking for designs that seemed uniquely suited to work without the benefit of a convenient AC outlet.
For hackers who still remember what sunlight looks like, A solar box built by [Nick Scratch] is an ideal companion. A lid-mounted solar panel can charge its internal 2500mAh battery, while its energy-sucking interior ensures you can squeeze out as much run time as possible. This includes the Raspberry Pi Zero, an eink display that’s perfect for displaying static content, and a Sharp Memory LCD that refreshes quickly enough that you can use it for interactive tasks.
Although it doesn’t have the benefit of a self-charging solar panel, the judges also liked the approach [a8ksh4] used in Thumb Term. This notebook is powered by just one 18650 cell, which are so incredibly common that even in a post-apocalyptic wasteland you shouldn’t have a problem finding a few new cells. It was clear that a lot of attention was paid to the Thumb Term’s power management, with the Pi Pico being used to monitor the battery level and alert the user appropriately when the available juice is running low.
The Turing Police
We knew this category, which focuses on decks that are either made with or use artificial intelligence, would be tough. But AI technology is improving by leaps and bounds right now, so we thought we’d put it out there and see what the community can come up with. In the end, we got good examples of both generating and using AI.
Although it doesn’t actively use AI, the Cyberdeck for Toddlers by [Josh] have benefited greatly from technology. After connecting a collection of buttons, switches and potentiometers to the Arduino Mega 2560, [Josh] turned to ChatGPT to create the code that ties everything together. He’s posted a link to the talk that produced the final source code, which provides some interesting reading for those who might be curious about how this type of large language pattern can be used for practical purposes.
The future is now
If you ever need a reminder of just what the individual hacker or maker is capable of with today’s technology, you need only look at the meteoric rise of cyberdeck. Just a few years ago we were looking at hot glue bonded plywood decks. Today, we have custom computers that don’t just see as if they could be Hollywood props, but manage to provide real-world functionality above and beyond the traditional consumer computing paradigm. The community has moved far beyond the “how” stage and is now deep into the “why” – and we love to see it.
As always, special thanks to our sponsor DigiKey for helping make the Cyberdeck Challenge 2023 a reality. We will be announcing a new contest in the very near future, so stay tuned.
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