Atlas TriCorder

Why a Handheld?

Some contexts don't need a tablet. A kid on a nature walk scanning leaf cards. A student using it as a terrAIn controller at the edge of the bed. A museum visitor tapping NFC exhibit cards. The TriCorder is for the moments where you need compute in your hand, not on a table.

The physical buttons matter. D-pad navigation and tactile action buttons mean you can operate it without looking at the screen — useful for terrAIn teleop, audio activities, and any situation where touch-screen gestures are awkward or imprecise.

iNQ Card Scanner

The TriCorder has a 2MP front-facing camera — enough to scan QR codes on iNQ Cards without needing the Sense add-on. Point the camera at a card, the device reads the QR, and loads the corresponding content from the local library or the Inquiry Appliance.

Faculty Cards, Expedition Cards, subject cards — they all work. The TriCorder is the most portable way to interact with the physical card ecosystem.

terrAIn Controller

The TriCorder doubles as the primary handheld controller for terrAIn. The d-pad controls vehicle movement, the screen shows the camera feed or terrain map, and the physical buttons handle action commands — bucket up, dump, blade angle.

With the DS, you get dual-screen control (map + camera). With the TriCorder, you get one-handed, pocketable control. Different trade-offs for different situations.

Specifications

DS vs. TriCorder