I work with industrial PCs built into large pieces of machinery. Most of our deployment process happens over the network, but the first steps need physical monitor/keyboard access to set some BIOS options, enable PXE boot, etc. I do this on the shop floor, standing next to or sometimes actually inside the machinery.
Currently the hardware I use is no more sophisticated than a cast-off office monitor and USB keyboard. The monitor in particular is unwieldy, at risk of damage, and far larger than it needs to be. Balancing a desk stand on top of a hydraulic actuator and securing the screen in place with scrap cable is hardly professional...
Is anybody here aware of a device that provides a small HDMI monitor and a USB keyboard and ideally pointing device, in a compact, portable, and possibly somewhat rugged form factor? I'm picturing something like a 10" or 12" laptop but with no brains of its own, just an HDMI input and USB B connector. In fact, having a range of video inputs would probably be valuable, though the kit I'm working with right now is HDMI. A battery would be useful too, though not essential.
Of course similar things exist in 19" rack form for use in a datacentre, but my datacentre is a factory floor...