The 2026 Cyberdeck - Phone-Controlled Raspberry Pi Terminal
Description
This project is my take on what a cyberdeck might look like in 2026.
Instead of a built-in keyboard and display, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W is controlled entirely from a smartphone over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). The phone becomes the terminal, keyboard, and AI interface, while the Pi remains a compact standalone compute module.
The companion mobile app provides
- Secure BLE pairing
- A real interactive Linux shell
- AI agent capable of executing shell commands from natural language
- No Wi-Fi, SSH, or Internet connection required between the phone and the Pi
The result is a tiny cyberdeck that fits in your pocket while keeping the "real computer" separate from the user interface.
Hardware
- Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W
- 3D printed enclosure
- USB power bank
- Alfa USB Wi-Fi adapter (optional)
Why Bluetooth?
Traditional cyberdecks usually rely on keyboards, touchscreens, or SSH over Wi-Fi. This build uses Bluetooth LE instead, making setup almost instant and allowing the Pi to stay completely offline while still being fully interactive.
Software
The enclosure is designed to work with Murmur, an open-source mobile app that turns your phone into a BLE terminal and AI-powered interface for Raspberry Pi devices.
Features include
- Interactive shell
- Secure encrypted pairing
- AI agent using your own OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini API key
- Works on iOS
Files
The STL files are provided for personal use and modification. Feel free to remix the design or adapt it to your own Raspberry Pi projects.
If you build one, I'd love to see your version!
Demo video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kzYSdF1omzY
Source code: