Hackers are buzzing with ideas from Pi-powered arcade machines and drones to the home automation and low-cost tablets. 10 coolest uses for the Raspberry Pi article tells that TechRepublic has delved into the Raspbery Pi’s developer forums, and here’s our round-up of the best ideas so far, ranging from the eminently achievable to the massively ambitious. You can use your Raspberry Pi for example as media streamer, arcade machine, tablet computer, robot controller and home automation controller. Rasberry Pi homepage offers also some more interesting projects like Retro games and a retro joystick.
1,692 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to keep your Raspberry Pi updated
https://opensource.com/article/19/3/how-raspberry-pi-update?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
Learn how to keep your Raspberry Pi patched and working well in the seventh article in our guide to getting started with the Raspberry Pi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Learn Linux with the Raspberry Pi
https://opensource.com/article/19/3/learn-linux-raspberry-pi?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
The fourth article in our guide to getting started with the Raspberry Pi dives into the Linux command line.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.kitploit.com/2019/03/rpi-hunter-automate-discovering-and.html?m=1
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi and Redis Smart Card System
https://blog.hackster.io/raspberry-pi-and-redis-smart-card-system-bd270ecb232f
While exploring ideas to try out the Redis database service, software engineer Simon Prickett from San Diego decided to build a mock transit ticketing system. Redis is an open source database service that supports multiple different data structures such as strings, hashes, and lists.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Let’s get physical: How to use GPIO pins on the Raspberry Pi
https://opensource.com/article/19/3/gpio-pins-raspberry-pi?sc_cid=7016000000127ECAAY
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.hackster.io/turn-your-raspberry-pi-into-a-quantum-computer-with-qrasp-4ccde390a48a
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi Tracks Humans, Blasts Them With Heat Rays
https://hackaday.com/2019/03/22/raspberry-pi-tracks-humans-blasts-them-with-heat-rays/
Hacking polymath [Matthias Wandel] worked out a solution to his cold shop with this target-tracking infrared heater. The heater is one of those radiant deals with the parabolic dish, and as anyone who’s walked past one on demo in Costco knows, they throw a lot of heat in a very narrow beam.
High-tech automatic Infrared heater aimer
http://woodgears.ca/tech/heater_aimer.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Home Automation with Raspberry Pi 3
https://www.hackster.io/akshit11/home-automation-with-raspberry-pi-3-b61508
Home automation using Raspberry Pi 3B and OpenHAB. [Optional] We will be using Google Home (or Google Assistant) to control the relays.
I wanted to completely automate my room. I had an old RPi-3 lying around. So I made it to my use and created this awesome home automation project with OpenHAB and IFTTT.
Step Two : Software
You have two of the following choices-
Flash Raspbian and then install OpenHAB onto it. (Tiresome and not good)
Directly flash OpenHABian onto SD card and run it directly (Damn Easy)
I used the second option and flashed OpenHABian onto a SD-card and put it into RPi.
Else follow the steps below:
Download the latest OpenHABian system image.
Flash it onto a SD-card using Etcher.io
After successful flashing, put the SD-card into Rpi and connect an Ethernet to the Rpi. (You may also use WiFi).
Boot up the Rpi. You don’t need a screen and/or mouse and keyboard as SSH and Samba are enabled already!
Wait for 30-45 minutes for OpenHAB to finish its initial setup.
After that, go to http://openhabianpi:8080, This will be the address of your Rpi from where you can access it.
Step Three : Configuring OpenHAB
After OpenHAB finishes its initial setup, go to http://openhabianpi:8080.
There navigate to Paper UI.
There, go to Addons>Bindings. Search GPIO in the search bar. Install GPIO binding. the navigate to MISC tab and install openHAB Cloud Connector.
Step Four : Making Items
Now we need to access our Rpi through SSH. I am going to use PuTTY. If you are on MacOS or Linux, you can use terminal.
SSH through PuTTY-
Open PuTTY.
Go to your router’s admin page and find out the IP address. It will be named as OpenHABian.
Copy the IP address and paste it in PuTTY and click Open.
Now you need to login -
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Infrared Heater Is Always Aimed at You Thanks to Computer Vision
https://blog.hackster.io/this-infrared-heater-is-always-aimed-at-you-thanks-to-computer-vision-c2ab04b19f7d
Tomi Engdahl says:
Catch Refrigerator Thieves with Raspberry Pi and OpenCV
https://blog.hackster.io/catch-refrigerator-thieves-with-raspberry-pi-and-opencv-e18a4d1cf83
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Pico Projector for the Raspberry Pi?
https://blog.hackster.io/a-pico-projector-for-the-raspberry-pi-ba23e70da9f9
Tomi Engdahl says:
Embedded Angular with Raspberry Pi
https://www.hackster.io/camow7/embedded-angular-with-raspberry-pi-e4500a
Boilerplate for embedded Raspberry Pi projects that serves up a custom Angular 7 UI.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How a Single Raspberry Pi made my Home Network Faster
https://www.brianchristner.io/how-a-single-raspberry-pi-made-my-home-network-faster/
The Pi Hole project adds an entire new level of performance and security to our home network. Powered by Docker and a Raspberry PI I can now block all unwanted Ads and Metrics network wide.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Computer Vision Pick and Place for Toys using Raspberry Pi and Arduino
https://medium.com/@pacogarcia3/computer-vision-pick-and-place-for-toys-using-raspberry-pi-and-arduino-68a04874c039
Tomi Engdahl says:
PiSugar Is a Compact Battery Solution Designed Specifically for the Raspberry Pi Zero
https://blog.hackster.io/pisugar-is-a-compact-battery-solution-designed-specifically-for-the-raspberry-pi-zero-416b503732e6
Tomi Engdahl says:
Learn to Play the Piano with the Help of a Raspberry Pi and NeoPixels
https://blog.hackster.io/learn-to-play-the-piano-with-the-help-of-a-raspberry-pi-and-neopixels-84315787d308
Tomi Engdahl says:
Autonomous Mars Rover using Raspberry Pi, Arduino and Pi Camera
https://medium.com/@rishavrajendra/autonomous-mars-rover-using-raspberry-pi-arduino-and-pi-camera-5b285be452c1
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi Becomes The Encrypted Password Keeper You Need
https://hackaday.com/2019/04/25/raspberry-pi-becomes-the-encrypted-password-keeper-you-need/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Voice Controlled Raspberry Pi
https://hackaday.io/project/87-voice-controlled-raspberry-pi
A program for custom voice commands to the Raspberry Pi. Make your RPi send emails, play videos, check the weather, and more using speech.
Steven HicksonSteven Hickson
Tomi Engdahl says:
Building a Raspberry Pi Rover: My Big Fat Linux Weekend
https://hackaday.com/2019/05/09/building-a-raspberry-pi-rover-my-big-fat-linux-weekend/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2019/04/08/give-your-raspberry-pi-sd-card-a-break-log-to-ram/
Tomi Engdahl says:
A Petite Pico Projector For Portable Pi
https://hackaday.com/2019/04/07/a-petite-pico-projector-for-portable-pi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2019/04/13/pick-and-place-for-toys/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi Tracks Humans, Blasts Them With Heat Rays
https://hackaday.com/2019/03/22/raspberry-pi-tracks-humans-blasts-them-with-heat-rays/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Forbes Says The Raspberry Pi Is Big Business
https://hackaday.com/2019/03/18/forbes-says-the-raspberry-pi-is-big-business/
But how popular is the Raspberry Pi among people who don’t necessarily spend their free time reading weird black-background websites? Well, according to a recent article in Forbes, the Pi has been spotted putting in an honest days work all over the world. From factories to garbage trucks, everyone’s favorite Linux computer has come a long a way from its humble beginnings. How does it feel knowing a $35 computer has a longer resume than you do?
How Sony Sped Up A Factory With These Tiny, $35 Computers
https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2019/03/10/how-sony-sped-up-a-factory-with-these-tiny-35-computers/#584d0c717d20
Tomi Engdahl says:
Portable Pi Power Pack Makes For Petite Projects
https://hackaday.com/2019/04/09/portable-pi-power-pack-makes-for-petite-projects/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wandel Weaponizes Waste with Lego and a Raspberry Pi
https://hackaday.com/2019/05/09/wandel-weaponizes-waste-with-lego-and-a-raspberry-pi/
Tomi Engdahl says:
PiFX, The Pi-Powered Pedal Board
https://hackaday.com/2019/05/27/pifx-the-pi-powered-pedal-board/
Since the beginnings of the Raspberry Pi, [Tibbbbz] has wanted to build a DIY guitar effects board and amp simulator. A device like this, and similar ones sold by Boss and Kemper, put a bunch of processing power inside a metal enclosure with some footswitches and a pair of quarter inch jacks for input and output. Mash some buttons and wicked toanz come out the other end. Now this is actually possible with a Pi, and it’ll sound great too.
Raspberry Pi is never going to have latency as low as a handful of transistors in a analog effects pedal, but it’s close enough.
For the audio system, it’s all about JACK audio: a wonderful frontend for the Linux audio system. The actual pedal emulation is happening with Guitarix. For the hardware part of this build, there’s actually not that much going on here apart from a USB sound card and a touch screen display.
Pi-FX : A Raspberry Pi-Based Pedal Board
https://medium.com/@atippy83/guitarix-the-pi-dle-board-8d6298ca8e42
Tomi Engdahl says:
Stealing Files With A Pi Zero | P4wnP1 A.L.O.A.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_BjCdJlCo4
Tomi Engdahl says:
Turn Your Raspberry Pi Into the NODE Mini Server V2, Complete with Hard Drive
https://blog.hackster.io/turn-your-raspberry-pi-into-the-node-mini-server-v2-complete-with-hard-drive-99fb44c1e6e6
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://payatu.com/using-rasberrypi-as-poor-mans-hardware-hacking-tool/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Is as Compact as Raspberry Pi Servers Get
https://blog.hackster.io/this-is-as-compact-as-raspberry-pi-servers-get-a924fde47f5f
The Raspberry Pi Zero W, in particular, is one of the smallest and cheapest fully-functional computer on the consumer market. But after adding an enclosure and a power supply, they end up being quite a bit larger. That’s why NODE has designed the Nano Server V2 to be as compact as physically possible
https://n-o-d-e.net/nano_server2.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Use a Raspberry Pi To Build Your Own PI-FX Multi-Effects Guitar Pedal Board
https://blog.hackster.io/use-a-raspberry-pi-to-build-your-own-pi-fx-multi-effects-guitar-pedal-board-9e2efcf096c5
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hackster.io/tinus-treuzel/deep-learning-with-raspberry-pi-explored-part-2-b8e7cc
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi Zero Keyring for Headless Access Anywhere
https://blog.hackster.io/raspberry-pi-zero-keyring-for-headless-access-anywhere-902c8e6b76d8
turning a Pi Zero, or Zero W into a literal key fob, that you can plug into a remote computer via USB, or connect to over WiFi.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Synthesizer Uses Conway’s Game of Life to Generate Tones
https://blog.hackster.io/this-synthesizer-uses-conways-game-of-life-to-generate-tones-d24d3be320b9
Once the simulation starts, the cells follow a consistent set of rules to live, die, or reproduce. Love Hultén is a Swedish artist who has built a synthesizer called Evoboxx that generates tones based on the Game of Life.
http://www.lovehulten.com/evoboxx.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
An Internet-Connected, Solar-Powered, Twitch-Streaming Chicken Feeder
https://blog.hackster.io/an-internet-connected-solar-powered-twitch-streaming-chicken-feeder-7075b34bece8
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi-Powered Mini Greenhouse
https://blog.hackster.io/raspberry-pi-powered-mini-greenhouse-13091a79d9fe
https://www.raspberrypi.org/magpi/smart-palm-tree-greenhouse/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://pentestmag.com/broadcast-signal-intrusion-with-rpi-zero-and-an-old-rusty-guitar-string/
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Internet Kill Switch Is Perfect for Keeping Teenagers in Line
https://blog.hackster.io/this-internet-kill-switch-is-perfect-for-keeping-teenagers-in-line-a154ca377afd
Tomi Engdahl says:
Capture Video From the Past with This Raspberry Pi Camera Rig
https://blog.hackster.io/capture-video-from-the-past-with-this-raspberry-pi-camera-rig-43aa0f87c482
Johan Link, however, has an innovative solution for this age-old problem with his “Film in the Past” device
Link’s rig hooks onto a normal baseball cap, and films continuously with a USB camera. A Raspberry Pi 3B takes in the video, and upon pressing a button, it saves the last seven seconds of video that it captured. So if you “missed” that amazing event, you’ve got seven seconds to remember to press the record button, storing it for sharing and review.
https://www.instructables.com/id/Film-in-the-Past/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build a Raspberry Pi powered live train station sign for your desk
https://www.balena.io/blog/build-a-raspberry-pi-powered-train-station-oled-sign-for-your-desk/
Build your own UK train station platform departure display (next train indicator) with live data using a Raspberry Pi Zero, OLED display and 3D printed case – a cool (and practical!) desktop gadget. It involves a bit of software, a bit of soldering, and some 3D printing too.
project to pull data from Transport API and display live train departure information on a small OLED display to mimic those signs seen on station platforms in the UK.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2019/05/27/pifx-the-pi-powered-pedal-board/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2019/06/17/diy-raspberry-pi-multi-fx-stomp-box/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Running Cryptography on a Raspberry Pi Zero on the Space Station
https://blog.hackster.io/running-cryptography-on-a-raspberry-pi-zero-on-the-space-station-4e6cc464be3a
Tomi Engdahl says:
AuditPi Is a Modular Handheld Raspberry Pi PDA and “WarSkating” Device
https://blog.hackster.io/auditpi-portable-pi-setup-and-warskating-device-a152c2a0962f
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://blog.hackster.io/an-internet-connected-solar-powered-twitch-streaming-chicken-feeder-7075b34bece8
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi computer looks down on Earth
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49584941
commercial off-the-shelf Raspberry Pi computer and camera.
The UK satellite company SSTL attached the equipment to a demonstration spacecraft to see how it would perform.
The European Space Agency sent two Raspberry Pi units to the International Space Station (ISS). But these were ruggedised units specially prepared for the purpose.
Tomi Engdahl says:
This Modder Turned a PlayStation 2 Into a Handheld with the Help of a Raspberry Pi
https://blog.hackster.io/this-modder-turned-a-playstation-2-into-a-handheld-with-the-help-of-a-raspberry-pi-e5b12cab3fe8
https://bitbuilt.net/forums/index.php?threads/pis2-a-long-overdue-ps2-portable.1681/
Tomi Engdahl says:
CutiePi Open Source Tablet Uses Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3
https://www.cnx-software.com/2019/08/16/cutiepi-open-source-tablet-uses-raspberry-pi-compute-module-3/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Raspberry Pi computer looks down on Earth
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49584941