Now this looks like a proper connector. The other side has the same one, and accessories clamp into both of them. The area around the hole is part of the rigid module which slots into the control strip sideways. It goes all the way through.
Some thoughts on how the control strip on Areon's back could work.
The strip has to be made of a flexible material in order to not prevent Areon from moving freely, which would be the case if it was made of metal.
However, the strip is also there to attach external accessories such as tail bags. In order to handle that, the strip has slots with inflexible swappable modules which consist of two slots on the sides for accessories to clamp into, and a data port on the top an accessory may use to exchange data.
Since the modules are only in specific places, the strip's flexibility is retained. Making them swappable helps with maintenance and repairs and is also a potential upgrade path that doesn't require replacing the whole control strip. Connecting accessories through these modules is faster than having them connect to the strip directly because they work like a quick change system.
Volpeon 
