Dev kit aids smartphone accessory design
Article By : Graham Prophet
Motorola’s Moto Mods Development Kit promises to “place the future of smartphone accessories into the hands of makers and developers.”
Maker- and developer-focused Moto Mods Development Kit (MDK) is designed to connect to the Motorola Moto Z smartphone and enable makers to create their own Moto Mods, creating custom applications that can transform the capabilities of a smartphone. The kit is available to buy exclusively from element14 in the United States now, with global availability expected for autumn of 2016.
element14 already manufactures and distributes to the maker and developer market, with a high profile in supply of single board computers. Motorola is also entering this space to offer the potential to revolutionise the future capabilities of the smartphone. This new partnership also further extends element14’s reach within this community.
The opportunity to get involved in the development of Moto Mods is made possible by the Moto Mod Smart Surface. The smart surface means that Moto Mods can be snapped onto the back of the Moto Z smartphone, enabling users to customise their phone without the need for internal integration. This unique capability means developers across the globe can design and commercialise their own Moto Mod, and users can change the personality and capabilities of their smartphone as quickly and easily as taking off one Mod and snapping on another.
The Moto Mods Development Kit includes everything users need to connect to their Moto Z smartphone and begin prototyping instantly. Included is a Perforated Board to solder components to, an example cover and a Reference Moto Mod. All of the components of the kit will also be available for purchase separately from element14.
element14 is also offering the Motorola HAT Adapter Board to extend the Reference Moto Mod for use with existing Raspberry Pi HATs, and Motorola’s Personality Cards (audio, battery, display and sensor), with open-sourced electrical and mechanical schematics, Moto Mods firmware, and Android Apps that serve as examples of how users can create their own prototypes.