A simple camera and GPS would be really helpful, adding in a barometer and compass as part of the GPS chip would be nice to have.
Maybe the camera could be placed in a way that would allow it to be used as a dashboard cam in a car that also acts as a navigation system?
In general it would be cool if the device was a bit more rugged and would allow use with gloves, maybe have a simple stylus included or a capacitative touchscreen? Or maybe some small programmable physical navigation buttons and a track-point? Something to allow input without actually looking at the screen would also be nice for use as a mp3 player or so.
The audio chip and output port should also be high quality so that it is possible to connect a ham radio for packet radio (a cheap Boafeng or those handhelds commonly used by emergency first responders). Connecting it to a radio in a sailboat for a GPS beacon and automated weather notifications would also make this an interesting replacement for expensive sail navigation solutions.
Really cool would also be one or two full sized USB A ports in host mode, as that would really increase the expand-ability of the device.
5ghz wifi support and maybe more importantly good modern bluetooth support would also be beneficial I think.
Edit: probably too expensive, but a build in infrared camera would be really cool, as that is commonly used to evaluate thermal isolation of buildings, and might also be helpful to optimize cooling of electronic devices etc.
Edit: maybe a lower resolution camera but capable of 60/120fps capture with a fisheye lense? Or make that two of those, with higher resolution to have something like a Lenovo Daydream camera for taking VR videos? Stereo cameras could also be interesting for robotics.
Edit: build in laser pointer and a laser distance measuring device? Just brainstorming
Maybe the camera could be placed in a way that would allow it to be used as a dashboard cam in a car that also acts as a navigation system?
In general it would be cool if the device was a bit more rugged and would allow use with gloves, maybe have a simple stylus included or a capacitative touchscreen? Or maybe some small programmable physical navigation buttons and a track-point? Something to allow input without actually looking at the screen would also be nice for use as a mp3 player or so.
The audio chip and output port should also be high quality so that it is possible to connect a ham radio for packet radio (a cheap Boafeng or those handhelds commonly used by emergency first responders). Connecting it to a radio in a sailboat for a GPS beacon and automated weather notifications would also make this an interesting replacement for expensive sail navigation solutions.
Really cool would also be one or two full sized USB A ports in host mode, as that would really increase the expand-ability of the device.
5ghz wifi support and maybe more importantly good modern bluetooth support would also be beneficial I think.
Edit: probably too expensive, but a build in infrared camera would be really cool, as that is commonly used to evaluate thermal isolation of buildings, and might also be helpful to optimize cooling of electronic devices etc.
Edit: maybe a lower resolution camera but capable of 60/120fps capture with a fisheye lense? Or make that two of those, with higher resolution to have something like a Lenovo Daydream camera for taking VR videos? Stereo cameras could also be interesting for robotics.
Edit: build in laser pointer and a laser distance measuring device? Just brainstorming