Bramble - A modular cluster computer system.

  • Robert Chapman
Bramble was developed during a ten day live project set by DCA. The brief was to design a product that would not contribute to the global landfill crisis. Bramble uses upcycled smartphone electronics to create a modular and efficient cluster-computer for home use.

Bramble won first prize, selected by DCA.
Bramble uses re-purposed Android smartphones with the fragile casing, display, and battery stripped away; keeping the efficient CPU and memory to create a modular cluster-computer. The design takes inspiration from the early days of home computing; a time when computers arrived as a clean slate, and were limited only by the creativity and skill of the user. Running Linux OS, Bramble can be used as a server, render station, or even a cloud based super-computer
The LEDs show the status of individual nodes. Pressing the front of a node mechanically ejects the mainboard and CPU housing.
The main module powers the nodes and contains the main CPU. The lower air intake is pillowed to prevent stacking of main modules.
The base module’s legs are attached, and cartidges containing repurposed smartphone components are inserted into the stackable processing nodes. Each node contains a flexible mount system designed to hold smartphone mainboards of all shapes.
The user learns how to program for parallel processing in a cluster-system. The base module can be used in education or at home as a low power Linux based PC. It has limited processsing power and it’s main purpose is to provide power and cooling to a larger cluster.
The user has set up a functional server system to host their startup website, but as traffic increases, more power is needed. More processing nodes are stacked onto the base to keep up with the increased usage.
One of the node's flash-memory needs upgrading. The node is released with a click and replaced without having to remove any other stacked modules due to the drawer configuration.
To see more of my work, check out my 2018 Design Portfolio.