Want to try something different with your Raspberry Pi? Here are some unique Raspberry Pi projects that may have never crossed your mind.
The Raspberry Pi 4 is one of the newest, fastest, and easiest-to-use Raspberry Pi boards. Other popular boards include the Raspberry Pi 3B+, Raspberry Pi Zero W, and Zero W 2.
Its small size and processing power make it a versatile addition to any maker's toolbox. In this article, we'll look at ten impressive beginner projects created using a Raspberry Pi.
At the heart of this portable DIY speaker is the Raspberry Pi Zero W. Within the enclosure lies a 3-inch 5W speaker with the pHAT beat.
On the software side of things, it runs Raspotify as well as Pirate Radio by Adafruit. After connecting the DIY speaker with Spotify Connect, you can listen to your favorite tracks on Spotify.
On the side, you'll find a slot for accessing the Raspberry Pi Zero W's various ports. A Creality Ender 3 Pro printer was used for its enclosure. And the pastel blue filament is made from 3DFillies printer filaments.
You can use your Raspberry Pi to make an intruder alarm! There are a few ways to detect the presence of an intruder. This alarm uses a laser sensor, sound sensor, LEDs, an active piezo buzzer, some jumper wires, a camera as well as a passive infrared motion sensor.
It constantly emits a laser beam, and its receiver only detects its exact wavelength of 650 nm. When the receiver detects the beam, its digital pin outputs 1, and when the beam is broken, it outputs 0. Afterward, this laser sensor connects to and powers from the Raspberry Pi's 3V3 pin. Python code reads the sensor's digital output and prints a message when the beam is disconnected.
The next part of this project incorporates a sound sensor. With Python programming, you can program an alarm sound to alert the presence of an intruder. Finally, the standard red LED and tiny active piezo buzzer are added for visual and audio indication.
As its name suggests, this is a Raspberry Pi weather station. But that's not all; it even has its own database and website. It can measure temperature, humidity, barometric pressure, wind speed, and light concentration. All the data is stored on a MySQL server and presented on a web server.
The following materials are required for this Pi weather station: Raspberry Pi, jumper cables, breadboard, various sensors, and an enclosure. After connecting all the components according to the provided circuit diagram, you need to enable SPI and 12C.
After this setup and ensuring its connectivity with the internet and updating the software, the next phase is installing the MySQL database system to store or connect multiple tables with each other. The project's final phase involves connecting the database with Python 3, installing Flask, copying the code from Github, and testing out the weather station!
This is a portable Raspberry Pi game console that is very affordable. The materials used include a Raspberry Pi Zero, TFT display, lithium-ion battery, prototyping board, charging circuit, micro-USB breakout, and DC-step-up up boost converter.
One of the first steps involves installing the Raspberry Pi's emulation software, Retropie. Powered by the Raspberry Pi Zero, this console has a 2.4-inch ILI9341 SPI TFT with 9 SPST push buttons for input. The entire unit can be powered by either a single 14500 cell or a used lithium-ion battery from a phone.
After integrating the TFT display, the next phase is the setup for the TFT display to work. Once you correctly set up the screen, you can solder the buttons in place on the portable console. Next, you'll need to work on the power button, LED, and battery charging.
Lastly, wire up all the components together. And then, 3D print the enclosure and place the electronics in it together with the Raspberry Pi.
Next on the list is a fully functional micro arcade machine designed with the Raspberry Pi Model B+.
The parts of the Pi arcade cabinet were built with a 3D printer in different colors. This build's key components include the micro arcade cabinet, buttons, a Raspberry Pi B/B+, one LED set, a slide switch, a 15 pin D-sub connector, a tactile push button, mini-joystick, and a VDC wall adapter.
Other components include the speaker case, SD card, 24 AWG wire, crimp female, and D-sub pins.
While you could purchase a NAS from a store, you could build your own for a fraction of the price! This is a DIY NAS made with a Raspberry Pi.
It is small in size, cost-effective, and a great step for learning all about networks, file systems, and security mechanisms. Furthermore, this device is powered by a single USB cable, and you can easily connect it to Wi-Fi.
The key components include a Raspberry Pi 2, microSD card (8/16 GB), female micro-USB breakout, SATA to USB adapter, hard drives, Raspberry Pi power supply, bolts, nuts, and wires.
On the software side of things, Etcher was used to write an image to the SD card. It uses Open Media Vault (OMV), which is the operating system for PiNAS. You can also configure the OMV for the system, storage, access rights management, and services. Finally, PiNAS can connect with your computer to provide backup data and storage.
Another great beginner project is to build a low-cost Raspberry Pi robot. This is a two-wheeled robot that you can program to avoid obstacles or maneuver around. At the robot's core is the Raspberry Pi programmed to run the code, motors and a motor controller driver, two caster wheels, an ultrasonic distance sensor, batteries, battery enclosure, and enclosure properly.
In this day and age, you could pay for your own Minecraft server to play with friends. Alternatively, you could run your own server with a Raspberry Pi!
The Minecraft server runs on Java, and you can download it from the Minecraft_Server.jar file. So, you'll want to make sure Java is already pre-installed on your computer. The next step is the acceptance of the EULA.
There is a .bat file saved in the same folder where the.jar file was saved and has a set of commands to alter the share of RAM dedicated to the server and enhance the server's performance.
This mini Nanoleaf is a replica of the popular Nanoleaf, sold commercially in stores. The entire build was created with a Raspberry Pi Zero W, WS2812B LED strips, wires, and a 3D-printed enclosure. White printer paper was used with its top plate for a simple diffusion solution.
Another beginner-friendly project every maker may want to give a shot at is the digital photo frame. As you may know, the Raspberry Pi is capable of a wide variety of tasks, from a simple media center to a portable gaming console.
You can update the contents of this photo frame remotely! This maker created a digital photo frame that retrieves photos from a Google Drive folder. Other makers have opted to make one with weather reports displayed, and some others have incorporated motion activation.
For under $20, you could build your own custom digital photo frame, brimming with all sorts of functionalities.
In this article, we've taken a look at some unique projects you can make with the Raspberry Pi as a beginner. Some of these projects use 3D printing. Others simply require a breadboard for prototyping.
Whether you prefer to get started with a gaming-related project or a home office, there's something for everyone on this list. If you haven't done so already, be sure to check out our guides on IoT projects with the Raspberry Pi!
If you've left your Raspberry Pi touchscreen gathering dust in a drawer, one of these ideas should pique your interest enough to get it out again!
Cherie is a Creative Technologist who joined MUO in 2021. She's an avid maker and technical writer, with experience using Raspberry Pi, Arduino, Micro:bit, ATtiny, and ATMega devices as well as E-textiles, 3D printing, and KiCad. Outside of making, Cherie enjoys playing music and working out.
Join our newsletter for tech tips, reviews, free ebooks, and exclusive deals!