Cool uses for the Raspberry Pi

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.

1,691 Comments

  1. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Jerry de Vos’ Plastic Scanner Turns a Raspberry Pi Into a Spectrometer for Plastics Recycling
    https://www.hackster.io/news/jerry-de-vos-plastic-scanner-turns-a-raspberry-pi-into-a-spectrometer-for-plastics-recycling-ef6c61b7a64f

    Designed for sorting plastic by type, the handheld scanner runs local machine learning analysis on a Raspberry Pi Zero W.

    Graduate industrial design engineer Jerry de Vos has turned a Raspberry Pi into a low-cost handheld scanner, which identifies plastic types to ease sorting for recycling — and has taken his place among the winners of the 2021 James Dyson Award.

    “The breakout board shines eight individual LEDs with a wavelength of 850, 950, 1050, 1200, 1300, 1450, 1550 and 1650nm,” de Vos explains. “The LEDs have a narrow bandwidth with a full-width half max of 20nm and a tolerance of just 3nm. The reflection from these LED lights can be measured by the sensitive and precise analog- to -digital converter, the ADS1256.”

    The Plastic Scanner, then, is effectively a device for infrared spectroscopy — but using a discrete approach that makes it considerably cheaper than traditional lab equipment. “This method is slightly less accurate,” de Vos admits, “but can still identify the most common plastics.

    “After the user has turned on the handheld scanner, the screen tells them to push the scanning button once a scan is desired. As soon as the Raspberry Pi recognizes that the button is pressed it sends a command to the breakout board, which starts the scanning procedure. Once the scanning is completed it is communicated back to the Raspberry Pi, which subsequently starts the interpretation algorithm to interpret the sample. Once this is completed the result is shown on the screen.”

    De Vos has released details of the project via Wikifactory under the reciprocal GNU General Public License 3.0 with more available on GitHub,

    https://wikifactory.com/+plasticidentificationanywhere/plastic-scanner
    https://github.com/Jerzeek/PlasticScanner-Software
    https://plasticscanner.com/

    Reply
  2. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Inductive current measuring using Raspberry Pi
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P47pjVyPP3w

    Making a coil to inductively sense current flowing through 2-conductor house wiring cables, without modifying the house wiring.

    Reply
  3. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Yavimaya’s PIZW2MT32 Turns a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Into a Tiny Roland MT-32 Emulator for Your MiSTer
    https://www.hackster.io/news/yavimaya-s-pizw2mt32-turns-a-raspberry-pi-zero-2-w-into-a-tiny-roland-mt-32-emulator-for-your-mister-26f64426bec6

    Designed to bring back the best of MIDI synthesis for classic computer games, this compact board needs only a single USB cable to work.

    Reply
  4. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi TOSLINK transceiver hat
    Optical digital audio I/O for Raspberry Pi
    https://hackaday.io/project/182641-raspberry-pi-toslink-transceiver-hat

    The Raspberry Pi has support for i2s audio I/O. It’s fairly simple to add a S/PDIF transceiver chip and optical audio I/O ports on a hat to allow it to be conveniently used.

    The WM8804 is the S/PDIF transceiver chip of choice for this project. Adding a single line to the Pi’s config.txt file, to wit:

    dtoverlay=hifiberry-digi

    is enough to add support for it.

    To be compatible with the driver, the chip needs to be configured in software controlled mode, i2c interfacing, the address has to be 0x3b. This is accomplished with pull-up or pull-down resistors on some of the I/O pins of the WM8804. For the driver, there also needs to be a 27 MHz crystal connected. The i2s I/O pins are connected to the relevant pins on the Pi, and the S/PDIF input and output pins connect to TOSLINK input and output modules.

    Reply
  5. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Seaberry carrier board turns a Raspberry Pi into a desktop PC with 11 PCIe slots
    It’s a bit pricey, though
    https://www.theregister.com/2021/11/25/seaberry_rpi_carrier_board/

    Fancy a Raspberry Pi 4 in a desktop ITX form factor with 11 PCIe slots? The new Seaberry carrier board may make your wish come true – but for a fairly hefty price.

    As we mentioned earlier this month, the forthcoming Linux kernel 5.16 will sport better support for the Raspberry Pi 4 Compute Module. This tiny daughterboard plugs into I/O carrier boards, making the Compute Module a lot more versatile than the Raspberry Pi 4 proper.

    https://www.tindie.com/products/alftel/seaberry-pi-cm4-carrier-board/

    Reply
  6. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi RC Car Lets You Explore From Afar With Online Control
    By Ash Hill 6 days ago
    The best part? You can 3D print it at home!
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-3d-printed-rc-car

    Reply
  7. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi Plays Video on Wall of CRT TVs
    Four TVs and four Pis working together as one.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-crt-wall

    We love seeing makers reuse old hardware and this project, created by CRTDream, is a fantastic example of how much fun you can have with some Raspberry Pis and four spare CRT TVs. CRTDream has built a 2×2 Pi-powered CRT wall using CRT TVs connected to four Raspberry Pis that synchronize together to work as a big screen.

    How to build a video wall
    How to build and configure a 2×2 video wall with Raspberry Pi’s and PiWall.
    https://crt.gg/piwall/

    Reply
  8. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Smart Stair Treads Light the Way Based on Two Time-of-Flight Sensors Processed by a Raspberry Pi
    Powered by JavaScript and a Raspberry Pi Zero W, these smart stairs trigger customizable animations when you trigger a sensor.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/smart-stair-treads-light-the-way-based-on-two-time-of-flight-sensors-processed-by-a-raspberry-pi-0d069e374855

    Reply
  9. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nikolas Ehm Turns a Raspberry Pi Zero W Into a Smartphone-Connected On-the-Go Programming Rig
    Designed for portability, this clever setup sees a keychain Raspberry Pi Zero 2 play host to a VNC server for a smartphone display.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/nikolas-ehm-turns-a-raspberry-pi-zero-w-into-a-smartphone-connected-on-the-go-programming-rig-49cac78f0054

    Reply
  10. Tomi Engdahl says:

    weird. I have my Hue bulbs responding to DMX in real time.

    googled “hue dmx” and found this as the first result: https://github.com/sinedied/dmx-hue

    I set it up on a Raspberry Pi

    Reply
  11. Tomi Engdahl says:

    This Raspberry Pi Robot Brings Holiday Cheer — If You Donate to Help the Homeless
    Make a donation to help the homeless this holiday season and this cute robot will celebrate with a song, a dance, or a joke.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/this-raspberry-pi-robot-brings-holiday-cheer-if-you-donate-to-help-the-homeless-df4d849d00ab

    Reply
  12. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi-Powered Sugar Launcher Uses OpenCV to Find Your Cup — and Bombard It with Sugar Cubes
    Inspired by a certain animated butter-passing robot, this boxy beast flings sugar cubes at your cup from afar.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/raspberry-pi-powered-sugar-launcher-uses-opencv-to-find-your-cup-and-bombard-it-with-sugar-cubes-e443f3f94c4b

    Reply
  13. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi Fore!
    This over-the-top robotic golf caddy launches clubs (and drinks!) through the air to keep things interesting during your next round of golf.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/raspberry-pi-fore-116b3c9aa06a

    Reply
  14. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Fridge Flight Tracker
    This refrigerator-mounted tracking device reveals what plane is overhead.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/fridge-flight-tracker-c25b99c61c58

    Reply
  15. Tomi Engdahl says:

    USB add-on boards leverage Raspberry Pi Zero test pads, USB Gadget mode
    I’ve just come across a few USB boards that take advantage of the Raspberry Pi Zero (W) test pads to add one or more USB Type-A ports to the board without soldering.
    https://www.cnx-software.com/2022/01/15/usb-add-on-boards-leverage-raspberry-pi-zero-test-pads-usb-gadget-mode/

    Reply
  16. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi Detects Malware Using Electromagnetic Waves
    By Ash Hill published 7 days ago
    Researchers take antivirus support to the next level with the Raspberry Pi.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-detects-malware-with-em-waves

    Reply
  17. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Tonga Eruption Pressure Wave Caught on a Raspberry Pi Thousands of Miles Away — Three Times in a Row
    Sandy Macdonald, equipped with a Raspberry Pi and BME280 pressure sensor, caught the shockwave coming from over 10,000 miles away.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/tonga-eruption-pressure-wave-caught-on-a-raspberry-pi-thousands-of-miles-away-three-times-in-a-row-ec5a117ddac6

    Reply
  18. Tomi Engdahl says:

    RaSCSI Zero Turns a Raspberry Pi Zero Into an Ultra-Compact External SCSI Drive Emulator
    Released under a permissive license, this kit turns a Raspberry Pi Zero into a small-footprint external SCSI device for your vintage rigs.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/rascsi-zero-turns-a-raspberry-pi-zero-into-an-ultra-compact-external-scsi-drive-emulator-69a71b9e9376

    Reply
  19. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Nik Ivanov’s Watney Raspberry Pi Telepresence Robot Gets an Overhaul: Meet Watney 3.0
    Fully open source and fully 3D-printable, this dinky robot provides low-latency video and bidirectional audio anywhere.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/nik-ivanov-s-watney-raspberry-pi-telepresence-robot-gets-an-overhaul-meet-watney-3-0-48f54d61a069

    Reply
  20. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi Mobile LTE Hotspot Adds WiFi and Network Storage Anywhere
    By Ash Hill published about 20 hours ago
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-mobile-nas-hotspot

    This Raspberry Pi mobile LTE hotspot is a custom van life companion, working as both a network access point and NAS.

    Reply
  21. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi Pico Powers Oscilloscope with Smartphone Interface
    By Ash Hill published 1 day ago
    Get the tools you need in a pinch with the help of a Raspberry Pi.
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-pico-oscilloscope

    Reply
  22. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How to send & see data from a Raspberry Pi to Azure IoT Hub!
    A quick, beginner-friendly introduction to sending and seeing data from a Raspberry Pi to Microsoft Azure IoT Hub!
    https://www.hackster.io/jenfoxbot/how-to-send-see-data-from-a-raspberry-pi-to-azure-iot-hub-908924

    Reply
  23. Tomi Engdahl says:

    How to build a DIY Raspberry Pi Spectrometer using a Picamera and Spectroscope.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_goVwwxKE4

    In this video I demonstrate a home-made Raspberry Pi Spectrometer for measuring the wavelength of light! If you already have a Raspberry Pi, this useful tool can be built for under 100 bucks!
    This uses readily available components and easy to use Python software I have written specially for this application.

    All code for this video and the bill of materials, as well as additional information is available at my GitHub:

    https://github.com/leswright1977/PySp

    Reply
  24. Tomi Engdahl says:

    PiEEG for converting RaspberryPi to Brain-Computer
    The easiest way to the neuroscience world with the shield for RaspberryPi – PIEEG
    https://hackaday.io/project/183912-pieeg-for-converting-raspberrypi-to-brain-computer

    Reply
  25. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Cyberdeck1
    A rugged cyberdeck with network hub and SDR
    https://hackaday.io/project/183892-cyberdeck1

    Reply
  26. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi Synth
    https://hackaday.io/project/183885-raspberry-pi-synth

    The synthesizer is composed of three basic parts. There are two midi control boards based on the TM4C123GXL launchpads and a raspberry pi.

    Reply
  27. Tomi Engdahl says:

    The 5 Best Raspberry Pi Cyberdecks
    BY GARLING WU
    PUBLISHED 2 DAYS AGO
    Cyberdecks are among the most creative Raspberry Pi projects. Here are some amazing examples to inspire you to build one.
    https://www.makeuseof.com/best-raspberry-pi-cyberdecks/

    Reply
  28. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Henri rakensi älykotiinsa avustajan – yli tonnin maksanut robotti osaa kertoa kun sauna on valmis https://www.is.fi/digitoday/art-2000008642371.html

    DIY Voice Assistant based on the GLaDOS character from Portal video game series. Works with home assistant!
    https://github.com/nerdaxic/glados-voice-assistant

    Reply
  29. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi Powered USB4VC Connects Modern Peripherals to Retro PCs
    By Ash Hill published 10 days ago
    https://www.tomshardware.com/news/raspberry-pi-usb4vc-converter-for-vintage-computers

    Now you can use the peripherals you want on the hardware you love.

    Reply
  30. Tomi Engdahl says:

    This Raspberry Pi-Powered Inventory Tracker Means You’ll Never Misplace a Component Again
    https://www.hackster.io/news/this-raspberry-pi-powered-inventory-tracker-means-you-ll-never-misplace-a-component-again-3f70856a97f5

    Designed for ease of use, this automated system tracks inventory via a barcode scanner — and ensures things go back in the right place.

    Reply
  31. Tomi Engdahl says:

    This Raspberry Pi-Powered Light Control System Uses Computer Vision to Adjust a Desk Lamp
    Rather than a simple photoresistor, this lighting control setup uses a camera module and the user’s choice of PIL or OpenCV.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/this-raspberry-pi-powered-light-control-system-uses-computer-vision-to-adjust-a-desk-lamp-4e3a343c6b3f

    Reply
  32. Tomi Engdahl says:

    This Real Fake Window Provides a Live View of the Outside World via an RTSP Camera and Raspberry Pi
    Linking a Wyze Cam and omxplayer via RTSP, this project puts a little bit of the outside world on the wall of an internal office.
    https://www.hackster.io/news/this-real-fake-window-provides-a-live-view-of-the-outside-world-via-an-rtsp-camera-and-raspberry-pi-998a86059149

    Reply
  33. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi does what Microsoft can’t!
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlBIfpBwqKY

    The new beta of Network Install is here, and I’ll tell you how it works, which Pis are compatible, and why it matters.

    Contents:

    00:00 – Network Install
    01:51 – Testing the beta on your Pi
    03:24 – Imaging a microSD card
    05:10 – Imaging a USB drive
    05:40 – Thumb drive ISOs
    06:22 – How secure is it?
    07:23 – Limitations
    08:31 – A new era for Pi

    Reply
  34. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Raspberry Pi And The Story Of SD Card Corruption
    https://hackaday.com/2022/03/09/raspberry-pi-and-the-story-of-sd-card-corruption/

    Tales of Raspberry Pi SD card corruption are available online by the fistful, and are definitely a constant in Pi-adjacent communities. It’s apparent that some kind of problems tend to arise when a Raspberry Pi meets an SD card – which sounds quite ironic, since an SD card is the official and recommended way of booting a Pi. What is up with all of that?

    Reply
  35. Tomi Engdahl says:

    Audio Development Kit Brings Wake-Word Support to Raspberry Pi
    https://www.electronicdesign.com/kit-close-up/video/21233600/electronic-design-knowles`

    We take a look at Knowles’ IA8201 EVM Kit that provides multi-microphone audio support for a Raspberry Pi host.

    Reply
  36. Tomi Engdahl says:

    World’s First Pi-Powered Satellite Shows the Resilience of Raspberry Pi
    https://www.reviewgeek.com/112138/worlds-first-pi-powered-satellite-shows-the-resilience-of-raspberry-pi/

    Undergraduate students at the Utah State University (USU) have successfully launched the first Pi-powered satellite into orbit. The GASPACS CubeSat, which was sponsored by NASA, features a Raspberry Pi Zero computer, a second-gen Pi Camera Module, and a DFRobot Beetle microcontroller to facilitate basic tasks at a low price.

    Like other CubeSat devices, the GASPACS CubeSat is quite small—just 10 centimeters wide. Its mission is to test an “aeroboom” stabilization system, which successfully deployed 45 minutes after astronauts tossed GASPACS CubeSat off the ISS.

    Reply

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