Mecha Comet: Modular handheld can be used as portable gaming machine or DIY platform

According to the company Mecha, the new Comet is a handheld computer designed for a wide range of applications thanks to its modularity. It features a front connector with pogo pins, enabling the device to connect to extension modules. Users can build their own modules, whilst the company also offers three standard extensions: a gamepad, a keyboard, and a GPIO interface for peripherals such as sensors and actuators. This allows users to turn the Comet into a portable game console, a controller for robots, or even a mobile phone.

The Mecha Comet is powered by an SoC with four Cortex-A53 cores running at 1.8 GHz, coupled with 4 GB of LPDDR4 memory and 32 GB of eMMC storage. The device is also equipped with a 3.4-inch IPS touchscreen, two microphones, one speaker and a 5-megapixel camera. Furthermore, an M.2 2230 slot with one PCIe 2.0 lane lets users install expansion cards like SSDs.

Measuring 150 x 73.55 x 16 mm (5.90 x 2.89 x 0.62 in) and weighing 215 g (7.7 oz), the handheld comes with a built-in 3,000 mAh battery capable of recharging to 50% within 25 minutes. Additionally, it offers a Gigabit Ethernet port, Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth for connectivity, as well as a gyroscope for detecting the device’s orientation. A crowdfunding campaign is launching soon for the Mecha Comet, with prices starting from $159. The Comet can run on a custom version of Debian or Yocto.