The declining number of applicants for the computer science program at the University of Cambridge led to the development of the Raspberry Pi. Its launch in February 2012 caused the servers of the participating online shops to crash. The 10,000 units priced at around $25 were quickly sold out. Since then, more than 61 million units of the mini-computer have been sold, surpassing the Commodore 64 in the list of best-selling computer platforms worldwide. Only PCs and Macs have sold more.
The Raspberry Pi has a large community that supports the development of exciting projects. Many mini-computers compete for buyers’ attention, but the Raspberry Pi stands out due to its price and the vast community. This community provides hobbyists with help for all kinds of questions and issues and offers countless project descriptions that can inspire personal projects.
One project transforms your cat into a nature documentary star using video surveillance and AI to alert you when your cat does something it shouldn’t, like jumping on a table. Additionally, you can activate an AI-based audio commentary that narrates what the cat is doing in the style of a nature documentary.
Another project involves turning the Raspberry Pi into an unusual AI camera. The AI Eye project uses AI to describe the content of a picture taken with the camera. The description is then fed into an image AI, resulting in an AI interpretation of the original image rather than a photo.
The Raspberry Pi Pico can also be turned into a watch. This Raspberry Pi-based clock doesn’t replace your smartwatch but serves as a classic timepiece with an unusual design. Instead of hands, it features a ring of LEDs, with different colors representing the three hands of analog clocks.
Shane C. Mason’s Fieldstation42 project allows you to experience 1980s television. It simulates 70s and 80s TV shows on a CRT television, letting you switch between multiple virtual channels showing old series.
For model train enthusiasts, Brendan McGrath’s project uses a Raspberry Pi to create realistic lights for model train crossings. Sensors detect when a train is at the crossing, activating the warning lights.
The Raspberry Pi can also be used in a smart flower pot project called Fytó. This project uses sensors to determine what your plant needs, such as water or light, and displays cute animations to indicate the plant’s needs.
The Raspberry Pi can bring the robot Tars from the movie Interstellar to life. Charlie Diaz has recreated Tars in a smaller version using a Raspberry Pi.
Guy Dupont’s Mailblocks project uses a Raspberry Pi as a router to intercept smartphone notifications. Only when the phone is placed in a specially designed mini-mailbox are the notifications delivered.
The Raspberry Pi can also be used as a granular sampler. The Groc project, still in development, aims to have MIDI and CV connections and produce up to twelve voices simultaneously.
For Halloween, the Raspberry Pi can measure fear with the Fear Booth project. Participants are encouraged to look scared into a camera, and the software analyzes their fear level, printing it along with their photo on thermal paper.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a Raspberry Pi project that allows you to play drums without the actual drums. The system uses AI to detect drum movements and produce drum sounds.
The Raspberry Pi can also be used to feed your cat. Alexander Rowsell has developed an open-source Raspberry Pi-based feeder that dispenses a pre-set amount of food at specific times.
The Deaf Link project uses a Raspberry Pi to help overcome language barriers. It uses AI to translate spoken language into sign language through a robotic hand and vice versa.
Max Björverud’s Technoframes project uses Raspberry Pi to create interactive art pieces that produce techno sounds when touched.
The Recurboy project is for fans of video art. It allows you to play videos and create your video animations, integrating with common audio equipment.
Jessica Card has modified a Furby toy with ChatGPT and Whisper to make it talk, reviving the once-popular toy with AI capabilities.
The Raspberry Pi can also bring Doom to the C64 with the RAD Expansion Unit, which emulates various C64 expansions and allows you to play Doom on the C64.
The BMO-AI project by David Packman uses a Raspberry Pi and AI to bring the character BMO from Adventure Time to life, enabling it to interact with people and recognize objects.
You can control the game Hogwarts Legacy with a digital wand using a Raspberry Pi project, offering a more immersive experience for Harry Potter fans.
David Packman has also used ChatGPT to bring Microsoft’s Clippy to life, allowing it to answer questions.
Ravi Butani has taught the Raspberry Pi Pico to fly, creating a small drone controlled via smartphone, making it a useful educational tool for teaching technical concepts to children.
Rodrigo Alfonso has found a way to play PlayStation games on the Gameboy Advance by running the games on a Raspberry Pi and streaming the video to the handheld device.
Tyler Suard has developed a Raspberry Pi-based system that uses AI to convert air guitar moves into guitar sounds.
A Raspberry Pi project turns a portrait into a living image, transforming the person in the picture into a monster as you approach.
Donald Bell’s cocktail-mixing robot, inspired by Blade Runner, uses a Raspberry Pi to mix drinks based on codes entered via a keypad.
The Wonderful Idea Company has created a Raspberry Pi-based stop-motion animation rig to simplify the process, especially for children, using open-source software.
Tom Swift’s Picorder project combines a Raspberry Pi with a toy tricorder to create a functional device with various sensors.
The Rocket Ship Panels project uses Raspberry Pi and Arduino to create a retro-futuristic control station inspired by 60s and 70s sci-fi films.