Popular_Science_Australia_November_2016

Clever Thinking

GOOGLE’S PROJECT ARA MAY HAVE ENDED

without a phone to show for it, but the idea of

a modular phone isn’t dead. Motorola’s Moto

Z supports Mods - clip on backs for the phone

that add, for instance, a high-end Hasselblad

camera or JBL speaker, or even a little projector

(we’ll take a closer look at these next issue).

Prepackaged Mods are fun, but where this

platform gets really interesting is with the

Moto Mods Development Kit. Consisting of a

reference Mod back (which provides power and

connections), a perforated circuit board and a

protective cover, the MDK allows tinkerers and

builders to make their own Moto Mods.

What can you make? What can’t you make!

Motorola provides some example “personality

cards” (see left) that clip into the reference

Mod and show what’s possible. The company

also highlights the available HAT (Hardware

Attached on Top) board which creates

connectivity with Raspberry Pi addons.

HATs are inexpensive, and include everything

from LCD displays to buttons and various

different sensors. Having HAT compatibility

makes the Moto MDK much more flexible.

Of course this system still requires a Moto Z

phone, unlike the open nature of Raspberry Pi

or Arduino, so it will be interesting to see if the

MDK spawns a new maker movement... or ends

up being just another smartphone gimmick.

Prototype

Your

Project...

With A

Mobile?

by

Anthony

Fordham

POPSCI.COM.AU 77

AUDIOAdds a better-

quality class D amplifier

and automatically reroutes

the phone’s audio output

MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES

DISPLAYadds a second LCD
display to show notifications
or whatever else the developer
wants. This round display is from

the Moto 360 smartwatch.

TEMPERATURE SENSOR

Uses a basic thermistor to

detect ambient temperature,

but the point of this card is to

show how custom sensors

can be implemented.

These Personality Boards are example MDK Mods that show what’s possible.

BATTERY A simple Mod that expands
the phone’s battery for extra run time,
but also shows how a battery can power

a Mod without the phone.