5 Fun Things to Do With a Raspberry Pi

With more capabilities of the Raspberry Pi on the rise, these gadgets are becoming more popular than ever. And if you aren’t familiar with Raspberry Pi, you’re in for a real treat.

What is a Raspberry Pi? In short, it’s a computer that can fit in the palm of your hand. But don’t let its small size fool you – this little gizmo is incredibly smart and can make big things happen.

One major perk about the Raspberry Pi is that it can be used multiple times to try out as many projects as you’d like. But you may want to have more than one of these computers around since there are a ton of different projects to try out.

Which one of the many projects will you try with your Raspberry Pi? We found some amazing ideas that can all be customized to fit your unique preferences. Check out our top five projects to try with Raspberry Pi electronics.

1) Miniature Portable Game Console

Of all of the Raspberry Pi projects to talk about, we couldn’t wait to share this one with you. If you are a fan of the Gameboy or Nintendo switch, you’ll want to try to make one of these consoles ASAP. In addition to being insanely cool, it’s also pretty easy to make and can be used a great gift for yourself or for that special gamer in your life.

The best part about it is that you can personalize it by making its own case. While our favorite is the reused Altoids tin case, you can also put other items around the house to use when you make your case – some people have made their game console case from other tin containers, digitally-printed boxes, and even legos!

2) Magic Video Wall

There’s no need to have standstill pictures anymore when you can create moving digital art. With the magic video wall, you can design your own work online or find inspirations created by others.

Another perk of this digital art is that if you get tired of what it’s currently displaying, you always have the option of changing the art to something new (for free). It’s a great and affordable way of preventing your place from ever feeling dull.

Ready to make your masterpiece? You can find more information on how to make an awesome digital art exhibition through this magic video wall tutorial.

3) Smart Gate

The smart gate is a versatile (and nifty) choice for the use of your Raspberry Pi. Once you have the technical parts of this project squared away, you can create a gate opening system for just about anything.

While some people have installed it into their property vehicle gate, others have used it to make a garage door opener, dog gate, and even a gate for their chicken coop to protect their chickens at night. With tons of possible options to try, what will your gate open up to?

4) Miniature Car

If you’d prefer to make a more “mobile” project, the Raspberry Pi can also be used to make a mini powered vehicle. You can use this computer to build an autonomous vehicle and watch it navigate through paths of your making, or if you’d rather have a little more power over the vehicle you can also create a navigatable car with a phone app.

Want to go bigger than the mini car? Check out this awesome robot tank project we did a while back, which can be used to take on the more rigorous trails.

5) Cameras Made with a Raspberry Pi

Ok, we’re cheating a little with this “three-in-one” description, but we’re excited about all of the capabilities of the Raspberry Pi cameras (and think you will be, too).

You can build upon your Raspberry Pi computer with a few additional pieces (including the Pi camera board) to make a basic camera, which can then be further tricked out depending on what you’d like to make. There are multiple variations of camera types to choose from, but we like these the most:

Digital Camera

The basic digital camera is going to be the easiest of the camera models to make with your Raspberry Pi. But just because it’s a simpler version to build doesn’t mean it’s not fantastic. With great camera quality, you can wow your friends with your photography skills.

This is another Pi project that is highly customizable, including the many different case options to choose from. Want more features? You can also build in wifi and a dropbox to move your photos to the cloud. Say goodbye to those bland store-bought models and hello to the camera that reflects you best.

Home Security Camera

Who says you need to buy an expensive security system to make sure your property is safe? Instead, build one yourself and save money on this homemade model. In addition to saving money here, you also won’t have to pay for subscriptions to keep this camera maintained (which most security camera systems require).

This homemade security camera is also very efficient. Because this camera has a motion-sensor, it will only catch the important footage, saving you both power and time.

Time-Lapse Camera

If you’ve ever wanted to make a time-lapse video of anything (we’re thinking of you, Planet Earth videos), now’s your chance. To get started on the time-lapse camera, you will need to use a different Raspberry Pi model (the Pi Zero). For more detailed instructions, check out the Pis time-lapse camera project.

 

Get Started On Your Raspberry Pi Project

As you can see, there are a ton of ways to use these awesome machines. If you’re not already sold, Raspberry Pis are also made through a charity that works towards bettering our planet in many ways, so you should feel good about your purchases!

Now that you know more about some of the awesome ways you can use a Raspberry Pi, you’re ready to begin your own project. If you need more inspiration, check out our blog dedicated exclusively to our beloved Raspberry Pi. Happy building!

Last update on 2024-03-30 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API