Tag Archives: Your Projects

The grilled cheese-making robot of your dreams

via Raspberry Pi

Ummm…YES PLEASE!

Cheeseborg: The Grilled Cheese Robot!

More cool stuff at http://www.tabb.me and http://www.evankhill.com Cheeseborg has one purpose: to create the best grilled cheese it possibly can! Cheeseborg is fully automated, voice activated, and easy to move. With Google Assistant SDK integration, Cheeseborg can even be used as a part of your smart home.

Does it use a Raspberry Pi, please?

Sometimes we’ll see a project online and find ourselves hoping and praying that it uses a Raspberry Pi, just so we have a reason to share it with you all.

That’s how it was when I saw Cheeseborg, the grilled cheese robot, earlier this week. “Please, please, please…” I prayed to the robot gods, as I chowed down on a grilled cheese at my desk (true story), and, by the grace of all that is good in this world, my plea was answered.

Cheeseborg: the grilled cheese robot

Cheeseborg uses both an Arduino Mega and a Raspberry Pi 3 in its quest to be the best ever automated chef in the world. The Arduino handles the mechanics, while our deliciously green wonder board runs the Google Assistant SDK, allowing you to make grilled cheese via voice command.

Saying “Google, make me a grilled cheese” will set in motion a series of events leading to the production of a perfectly pressed sammie, ideal for soup dunking or solo snacking.

The robot uses a vacuum lifter to pick up a slice of bread, dropping it onto an acrylic tray before repeating the process with a slice of cheese and then a second slice of bread. Then the whole thing is pushed into a panini press that has been liberally coated in butter spray (not shown for video aesthetics), and the sandwich is toasted, producing delicious ooey-gooey numminess out the other side.

Pareidolia much?

Here at Raspberry Pi, we give the Cheeseborg five slices out of five, and look forward to one day meeting Cheeseborg for real, so we can try out its scrummy wares.

ooooey-gooey numminess

You can find out more about Cheeseborg here.

Toastie or grilled cheese

Yes, there’s a difference: but which do you prefer? What makes them different? And what’s your favourite filling for this crispy, cheesy delight?

The post The grilled cheese-making robot of your dreams appeared first on Raspberry Pi.

Raspberry Pi retro gaming on Reddit

via Raspberry Pi

Reddit was alive with the sound of retro gaming this weekend.

First out to bat is this lovely minimalist, wall-mounted design built by u/sturnus-vulgaris, who states:

I had planned on making a bar top arcade, but after I built the control panel, I kind of liked the simplicity. I mounted a frame of standard 2×4s cut with a miter saw. Might trim out in black eventually (I have several panels I already purchased), but I do like the look of wood.

Next up, a build with Lego bricks, because who doesn’t love Lego bricks?

Just completed my mini arcade cabinet that consists of approximately 1,000 [Lego bricks], a Raspberry Pi, a SNES style controller, Amazon Basics computer speakers, and a 3.5″ HDMI display.

u/RealMagicman03 shared the build here, so be sure to give them an upvote and leave a comment if, like us, you love Raspberry Pi projects that involve Lego bricks.

And lastly, this wonderful use of the Raspberry Pi Compute Module 3+, proving yet again how versatile the form factor can be.

CM3+Lite cartridge for GPi case. I made this cartridge for fun at first, and it works as all I expected. Now I can play more games l like on this lovely portable stuff. And CM3+ is as powerful as RPi3B+, I really like it.

Creator u/martinx72 goes into far more detail in their post, so be sure to check it out.

What other projects did you see this weekend? Share your links with us in the comments below.

The post Raspberry Pi retro gaming on Reddit appeared first on Raspberry Pi.

We love a good pen plotter

via Raspberry Pi

BrachioGraph touts itself as the cheapest, simplest possible pen plotter, so, obviously, we were keen to find out more. Because, if there’s one thing we like about our community, it’s your ability to recreate large, expensive pieces of tech with a few cheap components and, of course, a Raspberry Pi.

So, does BrachioGraph have what it takes? Let’s find out.

Raspberry Pi pen plotter

The project ingredients list calls for two sticks or pieces of stiff card and, right off the bat, we’re already impressed with the household item ingenuity that had gone into building BrachioGraph. It’s always fun to see Popsicle sticks used in tech projects, and we reckon that a couple of emery boards would also do the job — although a robot with add-on nail files sounds a little too Simone Giertz, if you ask us. Simone, if you’re reading this…

You’ll also need a pencil or ballpoint pen, a peg, three servomotors, and a $5 Raspberry Pi Zero. That’s it. They weren’t joking when they said this plotter was simple.

The plotter runs on a Python script, and all the code for the project has been supplied for free. You can find it all on the BrachioGraph website, here.

We’ll be trying out the plotter for ourselves here at Pi Towers, and we’d love to see if any of you give it a go, so let us know in the comments.

 

The post We love a good pen plotter appeared first on Raspberry Pi.

Musically synced car windscreen wipers using Raspberry Pi

via Raspberry Pi

Hey there! I’ve just come back from a two-week vacation, Liz and Helen are both off sick, and I’m not 100% sure I remember how to do my job.

So, while I figure out how to social media and word write, here’s this absolutely wonderful video from Ian Charnas, showing how he hacked his car windscreen wipers to sync with his stereo.

FINALLY! Wipers Sync to Music

In this video, I modify my car so the windshield wipers sync to the beat of whatever music I’m listening to. You can own this idea!

Ian will be auctioning off the intellectual property rights to his dancing wipers on eBay, will all proceeds going to a charity supporting young makers.

The post Musically synced car windscreen wipers using Raspberry Pi appeared first on Raspberry Pi.

Estefannie’s Jurassic Park goggles

via Raspberry Pi

When we invited Estefannie Explains It All to present at Coolest Projects International, she decided to make something cool with a Raspberry Pi to bring along. But being Estefannie, she didn’t just make something a little bit cool. She went ahead and made Raspberry Pi Zero-powered Jurassic Park goggles, or, as she calls them, the world’s first globally triggered, mass broadcasting, photon-emitting and -collecting head unit.

Make your own Jurassic Park goggles using a Raspberry Pi // MAKE SOMETHING

Is it heavy? Yes. But these goggles are not expensive. Follow along as I make the classic Jurassic Park Goggles from scratch!! The 3D Models: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:3732889 My code: https://github.com/estefanniegg/estefannieExplainsItAll/blob/master/makes/JurassicGoggles/jurassic_park.py Thank you Coolest Projects for bringing me over to speak in Ireland!! https://coolestprojects.org/ Thank you Polymaker for sending me the Polysher and the PolySmooth filament!!!!

3D-printing, sanding, and sanding

Estefannie’s starting point was the set of excellent 3D models of the iconic goggles that Jurassicpaul has kindly made available on Thingiverse. There followed several 3D printing attempts and lots of sanding, sanding, sanding, spray painting, and sanding, then some more printing with special Polymaker filament that can be ethanol polished.

Adding the electronics and assembling the goggles

Estefannie soldered rings of addressable LEDs and created custom models for 3D-printable pieces to fit both them and the goggles. She added a Raspberry Pi Zero, some more LEDs and buttons, an adjustable headgear part from a welding mask, and – importantly – four circles of green acetate. After quite a lot of gluing, soldering, and wiring, she ended up with an entirely magnificent set of goggles.

Here, they’re modelled magnificently by Raspberry Pi videographer Brian. I think you’ll agree he cuts quite a dash.

Coding and LED user interface

Estefannie wrote a Python script to interact with Twitter, take photos, and provide information about the goggles’ current status via the LED rings. When Estefannie powers up the Raspberry Pi, it runs a script on startup and connects to her phone’s wireless hotspot. A red LED on the front of the goggles indicates that the script is up and running.

Once it’s running, pressing a button at the back of the head unit makes the Raspberry Pi search Twitter for mentions of @JurassicPi. The LEDs light up green while it searches, just like you remember from the film. If Estefannie’s script finds a mention, the LEDs flash white and the Raspberry Pi camera module takes a photo. Then they light up blue while the script tweets the photo.

All the code is available on Estefannie’s GitHub. I love this project – I love the super clear, simple user experience provided by the LED rings, and there’s something I really appealing about the asynchronous Twitter interaction, where you mention @JurassicPi and then get an image later, the next time googles are next turned on.

Extra bonus Coolest Projects

If you read the beginning of this post and thought, “wait, what’s Coolest Projects?” then be sure to watch to the end of Estefannie’s video to catch her excellentCoolest Projects mini vlog. And then sign up for updates about Coolest Projects events near you, so you can join in next year, or help a team of young people to join in.

The post Estefannie’s Jurassic Park goggles appeared first on Raspberry Pi.

Fantastic Star Wars-themed Raspberry Pi projects

via Raspberry Pi

The weekend’s nearly here and the weather’s not looking too fantastic around these parts – we’re going to need some project ideas. Here’s a fun roundup of some of my favourite Star Wars-themed makes from the archive that I reckon you’ll really like.

Because, well, who doesn’t like Star Wars, right? Tell us which is your favourite in the comments.

Make your own custom LEDs using hot glue!

Grab a glue gun and your favourite Star Wars-themed ice cube trays to create your own custom LEDs, perfect for upping the wow factor of your next Raspberry Pi project. Learn how.

Build your own Star Wars droid

She may just have won a billion awards for Fleabag, but Phoebe Waller-Bridge is also known to some as the voice of L3-37, the salty droid companion of Lando Calrissian in Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Thanks to Patrick PatchBOTS Stefanski, you can build your own. Find out more.

Solo Star Wars Story L3-37 droid PatchBOTS

Darth Beats: Star Wars LEGO gets a musical upgrade

LEGO + Star Wars + Raspberry Pi? Yes please! Upgrade your favourite Star Wars merch to play music via the Pimoroni Speaker pHAT, thanks to Dan Aldred.

Darth Beats dremel

Star Wars Minecraft

There’s a reason Martin O’Hanlon is part of the Raspberry Pi Foundation team. This recreation of Star Wars Episode IV may or may not have been it – you decide.

Build your own Death Star… sort of

LED rings spinning at 300rpm around a Raspberry Pi? Yes please. Not only is this project an impressive feat of engineering, but it’s also super pretty! Find out more, young Padawan.

POV Globe Death Star

Do. Or do not. There is no Pi (sorry)

Are there any Star Wars-related Raspberry Pi projects we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments below!

The post Fantastic Star Wars-themed Raspberry Pi projects appeared first on Raspberry Pi.