We’re well into 2023 and are delighted to share another round of Raspberry Pi projects with our readers this month. We cover Pi projects all week long and once a month take some time to highlight 10 of the best for a little extra attention. We love all of the hard work the Pi community puts into creating these projects and it’s never easy to pick these lists. But we hope you’ll enjoy them with us again as we give these makers the recognition they deserve.
These projects use some of the best Raspberry Pi accessories around and a variety of HATs to create some truly unique end products. We’ve got something in this list to inspire makers of all experience levels from excited amateurs to enthusiastic experts. If you’re looking for something cool to make, check out these projects and stick around to the end for tutorials put together by us here at Tom’s Hardware.
Raspberry Pi Pico Displays BIOS POST Codes
Reading BIOS POST codes is crucial for troubleshooting hardware and can be hard to do if you don’t have the right tool. That’s why this maker decided to get the job done using a Raspberry Pi Pico. This Pico-powered BIOS POST code reader not only reads the codes but displays them on a series of LEDs so you can quickly see the error.
Why we love it:
This is a very clever adapter and we really appreciate the practicality of the final result. Picos have proven in the past to be an excellent platform for bridging communication between devices and Mr. Green’s Workshop has created a good example of this. If you don’t have the hardware you need, you can always try building it yourself!
Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Displays BIOS POST Codes
Raspberry Pi Baseball Scoreboard
No time to watch the ball game? No problem! Maker and developer Clayton has created a fun solution using the Raspberry Pi. This Pi-powered scoreboard keeps track of current scores for any team of your choosing. In this case, he’s keeping up with the Cardinals so he can see what’s going on at a glance.
Why we love it:
Playing around with API access can lead to all sorts of cool projects and this one is no exception. The design is well done not only in how it looks but in how the information is conveyed. You can see how many players are out, how many strikes have been counted, and much more with just a series of LEDs.
Read: Raspberry Pi Baseball Scoreboard
Raspberry Pi Pico W Plant Faces
How happy is your plant? Now you can know for sure. Penguin Pranav has created a Pico-powered plant face system that generates expressions based on the wellness of your plant. If it needs water and sunlight, it frowns. If everything is going smoothly, you can expect a smiling face.
Why we love it:
Plants are already alive but this project adds a new element to their existence that makes it easier for mammals like us to take care of them. Now your plant is more than a dependent, it’s a friend you can help keep happy with a little TLC.
Read: Raspberry Pi Pico W Plant Faces
Raspberry Pi Camera Uses Sound to Create Photos with AI
Last month we featured a blind camera that used location data to generate photos using AI. This month we’re featuring another lensless camera. This creation relies on sound to assess the area around it and create an image from the sound it detects. The pictures you get depend on the model of associated sound and pictures you train it with.
Why we love it:
We’ve never seen (or heard) a project quite like this one. It’s a fascinating concept and the final product is really interesting to see in action. We also appreciate how much of it was designed from scratch. Even the case was made from the ground up and 3D printed just for the project.
Read: Raspberry Pi Camera Uses Sound to Create Photos with AI
Raspberry Pi Nimbus Broom Controller for Hogwarts Legacy
This might be the closest you’ll ever get to knowing what it’s like to fly on a broom. Using an accelerometer, Mo has created a Pi-powered broom that allows you to tilt and move in real-time to operate the broom flying in the Hogwarts Legacy game from the Harry Potter universe.
Why we love it:
We’ve come across custom Raspberry Pi controllers before but never one that lets you know what it’s like to fly around on a broom! This project took a fair bit of ingenuity to imagine and pull off. It looks just as fun to put together as it does to use when it’s finished.
Read: Raspberry Pi Nimbus Broom Controller for Hogwarts Legacy
Raspberry Pi Drives Sailboat
Whether you’re fixing to sail the seven seas or maybe just around a cove, you shouldn’t leave port without a Raspberry Pi autopilot. Tommy Joad has created a project using a Raspberry Pi that enables automatic routing for his sailboat. The Pi can be pre-programmed with a custom route and automatically adjusts the wheel in real time to take you where you want to go.
Why we love it:
This project is incredibly practical and looks really fun to put together. You’ll need some specialized hardware to pull this off—including a boat. But if you’ve got the components to play with, this is one summer project that’s sure to bring out your inner sailor.
Read: Raspberry Pi Drives Sailboat
Raspberry Pi Storybook Writes Stories Using ChatGPT
Once upon a time, there was a really cool project. It was so cool that every time you opened it up, it was totally different! This Raspberry Pi story book uses a Pi to create a new story on demand with a little help from ChatGPT. You can throw you and your friends into the adventure and tell it exactly what sort of story you want to hear.
Why we love it:
This is an incredible idea and the final book is so beautiful! It’s a fun way to not only entertain your friends and family but also introduce them to some really cool technology along the way. There’s something magical about reading a new adventure every night.
Read: Raspberry Pi Storybook Writes Stories Using ChatGPT
Raspberry Pi Used for Brown Bear Conservation
If you go out in the woods today you better bring along a Raspberry Pi! BearID is working on implementing Raspberry Pis to help monitor brown bear populations across North America. It uses AI to track bears and keep an eye on them to aid researchers in conservation efforts.
Why we love it:
Raspberry Pis are cool enough on their own but knowing they can be used to help in the natural world is wonderfully reassuring. These SBCs make great gaming platforms but scientists have their own use cases and we’re delighted to see them make a difference in the world.
Read: Raspberry Pi Used for Brown Bear Conservation
Raspberry Pi Turns Truck into Giant Dot Matrix Printer
Ryder Damen from Ryder Calm Down will never calm down and we’re okay with that. He recently turned his truck into a giant dot matrix printer that’s powered by—you guessed it—a Raspberry Pi. It has a web server that you can use to program messages and a series of valves that release water to build the letters like a printer while driving.
Why we love it:
We love the crazy ideas that come out of Ryder’s head and we’re not surprised by the wacky antics of his latest creation. This is a really cool idea and seeing it in action is super inspiring. You truly can do anything if you put your mind to it—no matter how practical.
Read: Raspberry Pi Turns Truck into Giant Dot Matrix Printer
Raspberry Pi Submarine Simulator
20,000 leagues under the sea? More like 20,000 milliliters, but who’s counting? This submarine simulator uses a Pi to tour a small pond but it makes you feel like you’re actually shrunk down in size exploring a giant underwater world. The Raspberry Pi has a camera module and moves around on a plotter-like platform that the submarine uses to simulate its dive.
Why we love it:
Enthusiasts of all types exist in the world and we’re overwhelmed by how intricate this submarine simulator is. Beaucoups of passion went into creating this realistic simulator. We’re just lucky a Pi was thrown into the mix so we could share it with all of you.
Read: Raspberry Pi Submarine Simulator
Tom's Hardware Projects
It’s hard to write about Raspberry Pi projects all month long and not get the itch to make something ourselves. The staff here at Tom’s Hardware is busy tinkering with the SBC, as well, and we’ve got a tutorial to share for anyone that wants to follow along.
How To Build an Air Quality Alert Light with Raspberry Pi Pico
In this guide, Les shows us how you can track air quality using the Raspberry Pi Pico. We cover everything you need from beginning to end including the hardware necessary to build the project as well as the code you need to make it work.
Read: How To Build an Air Quality Alert Light with Raspberry Pi Pico
