Pilet: Opensource, Modular, Portable Mini Computer

The Raspberry Pi keeps getting faster, but it remains a board that needs external power and a display — taking a project on the road means hauling peripherals. Pilet from Vancouver's soulscircuit builds the Raspberry Pi 5 into a retro-futuristic portable all-in-one with its own screen, keyboard and roughly 7 hours of battery life. The power design is the standout: a custom battery-management module around TI's TPS61088 boost converter meets the Pi's 5A demand and charges happily from any ordinary 5V USB source — laptop, car charger or power bank. The machine is modular (design your own camera, sensor or actuator modules) and fully open source from firmware to applications. Assembly is solder-free and STEM-friendly. Launched in January 2025, it funded in 5 minutes and finished with 2,777 backers and about CA$1.26 million (roughly $883K), around 6,324% funded.