Best Raspberry Pi Projects: April 2024

With spring in full swing, it's time to take a look at some of the coolest Raspberry Pi projects that have bloomed over the last month. As usual, we've got an assortment of creations ranging from RP2040-based projects to ones that use the latest board, the Raspberry Pi 5. There's plenty to inspire makers of all walks whether you're an amateur or a well-seasoned microelectronics expert.

These makers and developers pull out the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs around to make their ideas possible. When they share all the juicy details about what components they're using and what libraries they've installed, we'll be sure to relay it to you with links to the source material. We've also got some guides put together by the staff here at Tom's Hardware so you can easily follow along with us at home.

Raspberry Pi 5 Cat TV

Nothing beats the chance to unwind and relax in front of the TV after a long day. No one knows that better than maker and developer Becky Stern who decided to share the experience with her beloved cats by creating a Raspberry Pi cat TV. This TV uses the latest Pi model, the Raspberry Pi 5.

Why we love it:

This might not be an overly complex project but the use case is what shines here. The TV automatically loads up cat videos from YouTube that show footage of things like birds and squirrels. It's a very generous project that makes for some seriously spoiled cats and we love that.

Read: Raspberry Pi 5 Cat TV

Raspberry Pi Hat Camera

Some Raspberry Pi projects aren't just portable, they're wearable, like this Raspberry Pi hat camera put together by Jacob David C Cunningham. This device has everything it needs to operate on the go including a battery and clip that makes it easy to attach to the brim of your hat.

Why we love it:

Making Raspberry Pi projects portable is always tricky. It can be difficult to figure out how much power you need and how heavy the battery can be depending on the use case. This is a great example of a finished product that's as fun to build as it is useful.

Read: Raspberry Pi Hat Camera

Raspberry Pi Pico StoRPer Modular DIY Robot Rover

If there's one thing the Raspberry Pi Pico is good for, it's tiny RC cars. This one, created by maker and developer Jo Hinchliffe, is known as StoRPer. It's designed to be modular and has omnidirectional wheels for easy steering.

Why we love it:

We love seeing the Pico used with custom PCBs so it should come as no surprise that we enjoyed seeing it here. The StoRPer is a neat little car and the omnidirectional wheels are just icing on the cake.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico StoRPer Modular DIY Robot Rover

Vela AI Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Smart Bikes

After thriving in the tech market over the last decade, it's not uncommon to find a Pi used in a commercial product now and then. In this case, Velo AI has unveiled their line of Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 smart bikes.

Why we love it:

The bikes use AI to help the driver anticipate traffic from behind which can ideally make a safer experience for the rider. While it's plenty impressive to see proof of concepts for Raspberry Pi AI projects, it's just as cool to see the technology implemented in a buyable product.

Read: Vela AI Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 Smart Bikes

Raspberry Pi Pico W Atari 2600 Bluetooth Controller Support

Sometimes the best way to get a good retro gaming experience is to use the right controller. Instead of trying to use a retro controller on an emulator, make Reogen is switching things up by creating a Raspberry Pi Pico-powered adapter for the Atari 2600 that enables bluetooth controller support.

Why we love it:

This is one of those projects we never really considered until we saw it for ourselves. It's an extremely niche use case but a beautiful example of how the Pico can serve as a bridge for modern and classic hardware.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico W Atari 2600 Bluetooth Controller Support

Raspberry Pi Pico 'Back to the Future' Time Circuits Replica

Fans can go to some serious extremes to create realistic props from their favorite movies. Maker and developer Traveling_fred is on that list as he shows off his 'Back to the Future' time circuits replica kit, powered by our favorite microcontroller—the Raspberry Pi Pico.

Why we love it:

This is a really unique kit that pays homage to the classic 'Back to the Future' sci fi franchise. The final build is really neat in itself but the kit also looks really fun to put together. What you would do with the end product and when is up to you.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico 'Back to the Future' Time Circuits Replica

Raspberry Pi Precision Movement Stage

Some projects are driven by some really specific needs. In this case, YouTuber and maker Robert Elder needed a way to smoothly rotate microchips while filming close up shots for his channel. The end result is this cool Pi-powered precision movement stage.

Why we love it:

This project shows how you don't need to buy expensive tools when a bit of ingenuity and effort will do just as good. According to Elder, this is still a work in progress but we're excited about it even still in its current state.

Read: Raspberry Pi Precision Movement Stage

DIY Raspberry Pi All Sky Camera

Got your eyes on the sky? So does maker Frank Prins with this custom Raspberry Pi all sky camera. It's aimed at the sky way up north within the Arctic Circle and captures images of the northern lights.

Why we love it:

Spotting a Pi in a professional setting is one thing but seeing one use in the name of science is another. We love the unique opportunity Prins has to not only capture images of the northern lights with a Pi but also share them with us.

Read: DIY Raspberry Pi All Sky Camera

Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040 Inside Custom Virtual Pinball Machine

You don't need quarters to play this machine. Dewijngaert created this virtual pinball machine and while a Pi isn't being used as the main board, you will find an RP2040 microcontroller handling the button input.

Why we love it:

This is a project not just for fans of retro gaming in general but serious pinball enthusiasts. It's clear Dewijngaert went all out with this design to make sure the playing experience was top notch and true to classic, full-sized pinball machines.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040 Inside Custom Virtual Pinball Machine

Raspberry Pi Pico Turned Into a Working GPU

Graphics cards can be expensive and hard to get ahold of, wouldn't it be easier if you could make your own with a $4 Raspberry Pi Pico? That's exactly what the team did over at Element14. Sure, it can't hold a candle for your latest RTX 4000 series GPU but it's not supposed to. This Pico graphics card is intended to work with small SBCs.

Why we love it:

This project is just crazy awesome from head to toe. We love everything from the concept to the final design. Is it practical? Sort of. Is it cool? Extremely. It's projects like these that raise the bar and make you say, "Why not?"

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Turned Into a Working GPU

Tom's Hardware Projects

As always, it's hard not to feel inspired after covering all sorts of Pi projects all month long. We also like to tinker on the Pi and document the process as we go so you can follow along at home with a detailed guide.

How to Overclock the Raspberry Pi 5 Beyond 3 GHz

In this guide, Les shows us how you can take the Pi 5 to new limits by overclocking it past 3GHz. If you aren't sure how to go about overclocking, this is a great place to start as Les covers everything you need each step of the way.

Read: How to Overclock the Raspberry Pi 5 Beyond 3 GHz

At the end of a rainbow, surely the pot of gold is actually just a pot full of Raspberry Pis. Or rather, that's what we'd like to find. It's not a secret that we here at Tom's Hardware are huge fans of the Pi and all of the amazing projects put together by the community. We feature Pi projects all week long and today we're taking a look at some of the best projects we've featured over the past month.

These makers use some of the latest boards, like the Raspberry Pi 5, as well as the best Raspberry Pi accessories and the best Raspberry Pi HATs to bring their ideas to fruition. We've got tons of cool projects to share that will inspire your inner maker and even a few guides we put together so you can follow along at home.

Raspberry Pi Smart Fridge

Building a smart home is as easy as Pi! Just take a look at this cool Raspberry Pi smart fridge put together by Mimobeano. Using a Pi as the main controller, this device takes pictures of the refrigerator contents and uses AI to see what's in stock. Mimobeano can not only see what's in the fridge by sending a message to a custom Telegram bot but also request recipes based on what's available.

Why we love it:

We love any excuse to whip up a DIY project and this one provides a neat way to interact with your kitchen. Putting the project together looks just as fun as having one more smart home device.

Read: Raspberry Pi Smart Fridge

3D Printed Raspberry Pi 5 NAS

An NAS setup can be really useful for a variety of applications—especially those looking to stream their own media at home. This 3D printed Raspberry Pi 5 NAS put together by 3D Printz provides support for the Raspberry Pi 5 as well as a few other Pi models. With all of the hardware together in the final build, it has convenient port access on the side and an OLED screen for displaying stats.

Why we love it:

We don't need to sell you on why it's useful to have an NAS on hand, but we will encourage you to consider making your own. It's awesome enough to see support for the Raspberry Pi 5, in this case, but it was really kind of 3D Printz to share files for other Pi models, as well.

Read: 3D printed Raspberry Pi 5 NAS

Raspberry Pi RP2040 in Super Tiny Unofficial Game Boy

Big things sometimes come in small packages and this project is a great example of just that. We spotted our favorite microprocessor, the RP20040 on the PCB used in this Super Tiny Unofficial Game Boy. Elliot Coll found it over at AliExpress and showed it off over at YouTube.

Why we love it:

We're absolute suckers for retro gaming stuff and this super small Game Boy was cool enough on its own. But once we saw the Raspberry Pi inside, we knew we had to share it. Although this was a one off product run and we can't find more, it's a wonderful build and we hope to see RP2040s integrated into more devices.

Read: Raspberry Pi RP2040 in Super Tiny Unofficial Game Boy

Raspberry Pi Voice Driven AI Art Generator

It's easier than ever to play with generative AI tools. There are so many options at your fingertips that you can use to implement open source AI systems into your projects. A great example comes from maker and developer DevMiser who's using one to drive this AI Art Generator TV project. Just say the prompt you want to create out loud and it will use speed to text to process the request and generate a picture for you.

Why we love it:

It's cool to see more AI-based projects and this one is really neat. It's a fun proof of concept but you could set something like this up in your living room to entertain guests. It's a good idea and well executed project.

Read: Raspberry Pi Voice Driven AI Art Generator

Raspberry Pi VHS Composite Video Player

This project, created by Alan Boris, takes the beauty of vintage tech and showcases it in a useful end product. This is a Raspberry Pi Composite Video Player and it's housed inside of an old VHS tape.

Why we love it:

Boris went above and beyond with this project design. Not only is it housed inside of an old VHS tape, he threw in a servo to rotate like the original tape reel used to while playing a tape. The other side has a handy display for menu functions. It's an incredible idea and the end result is top notch.

Read: Raspberry Pi VHS Composite Video Player

Raspberry Pi Bluetooth Jammer

We've all been there before. You're comfortable, it's a cozy atmosphere, and suddenly your neighbors interrupt with some noisy audio. In this case, maker and developer Roni Bandini was dealing with excessive music and decided to jam any nearby bluetooth speakers by using a Pi to listen for it using AI. The end result is this legally questionable Raspberry Pi Bluetooth Jammer.

Why we love it:

This project definitely isn't for everyone but you don't have to make it yourself to appreciate the ingenuity behind its design. Some of the most interesting projects are born out of necessity—or in this case, neighborly warfare.

Read: Raspberry Pi Bluetooth Jammer

Raspberry Pi Volumetric Display

We guarantee you've never seen a project quite like this one before. This Raspberry Pi Volumetric Display uses a Pi to drive a motor that spins a couple of matrix panels around. The end result is a 3D object you can look at from different angles.

Why we love it:

This is an amazing idea and the final design, especially with the glass covering, looks incredible. We've never seen a project quite like this one before and it's neat to see not just one but two great examples of it in action.

Read: Raspberry Pi Volumetric Display

Tom's Hardware Projects

It's hard not to get inspired after combing through so many amazing creations from the maker community. Here are a few Raspberry Pi tutorials put together by the staff here at Tom's Hardware that you can follow along with at home.

How to Control your Raspberry Pi Camera using a web UI

If you've ever wanted to use a web-based UI to operate a camera using a Raspberry Pi, now's your chance to see exactly how it's done. You could incorporate this into a multitude of projects, so think of it more like a building block you can use for a bigger project design. Les walks us through everything we need to do to put this setup together.

Read: How to Control your Raspberry Pi Camera using a web UI

How to turbo-charge your Raspberry Pi 5 with an NVMe boot drive

Your Raspberry Pi 5 has PCIe support, so why not take full advantage of that? In this guide, Les walks us through what you need to do to turbo-charge your Pi 5 using an NVMe boot drive. Some extra hardware will be needed to use an SSD with the Pi 5.

Read: How to turbo-charge your Raspberry Pi 5 with an NVMe boot drive

Raspberries are red, some PCBs are blue, Raspberry Pi is our favorite and Arduino is cool, too. February has snuck up on us and it's time again for us to share some really cool Pi projects that we absolutely love. We've got everything from the latest board, the Raspberry Pi 5, to custom boards that use the RP2040 microprocessor.

These makers use some of the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs around to bring their projects to life. We'll be sure to share all of the details as we go along, just follow the link to check out the original article for a closer look at each project.

Raspberry Pi Pico Digital Audio Looper

The Raspberry Pi is a great choice for musicians looking to create a digital instrument of their own, or in this case, college students completing a project for the semester final. This Raspberry Pi Pico digital audio looper lets you record audio and play it back with special effects or in a loop for real-time concerts.

Why we love it:

This project is super useful for musicians and makers alike that are itching for a fun project to recreate at home. It shows that a little ingenuity not only nets you a cool final product but also can help you get a passing grade in school.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Digital Audio Looper

Raspberry Pi Tiny Retro TV

It's amazing what makers can cram a Raspberry Pi into. As the boards get smaller, so do the design concepts like this Raspberry Pi tiny retro TV put together by Fantasticmrdavid. It resembles an old Toshiba TV and lets you watch videos and emulate any retro console you like thanks to RetroPie.

Why we love it:

We've always had a soft spot for retro gaming with a Pi but we know that having hardware look the part really completes the nostalgic experience. It took a lot of work to design and print this case. Plus, it was really cool of Fantasticmrdavid to share it with everyone else online.

Read: Raspberry Pi Tiny Retro TV

Raspberry Pi Mini Desktop DOS PC

Like we said before, tiny projects are cool! And it just so happens that this one is also designed by Fantasticmrdavid. Instead of resembling an old TV, this Pi fits inside of a mini desktop DOS PC. It looks like an old school desktop complete with a monitor and everything.

Why we love it:

There are multiple bases available to print for different Pi models and you also have the option of using the floppy drive port as a microSD card slot. The design for this is just off the charts cool and open to so many makers to modify and play with at home.

Read: Raspberry Pi Mini Desktop DOS PC

Raspberry Pi Dual Monitor Mini PC

Tiny retro PCs are cool and all but this Raspberry Pi dual monitor mini PC is a bit more modern. It sports flashy RGB LEDs and shows off the hardware inside the case with clear side panels. If that weren't enough, it has two separate monitors to use for dual monitor action!

Why we love it:

This little PC looks great and the dual monitor support puts it over the top! If you're looking to make a small usable desktop of your own, you might as well go all out in style and this is definitely the way to do it.

Read: Raspberry Pi Dual Monitor Mini PC

Maker Gives Raspberry Pi Pico Ethernet over USB Support

Some makers really like to push boards to their limits and this project is a shining example of just that. This maker has managed to get Ethernet over USB support on the Pico. It requires a custom cable that Alan put together just to pull off this project that splits the USB port into Ethernet and USB.

Why we love it:

If you don't have a specialized board on hand, this project shows that you can just make your own. It's already super impressive as an idea but it's even more awesome to see it work successfully.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Ethernet over USB Support

Raspberry Pi RP2040 Magnetic Macropad

We're definitely suckers for Pi-powered macropads and couldn't help but share this Raspberry Pi RP2040 magnetic macropad when we came across it. Made by maker Salim Benbouziyane, it features magnetic add ons that you can snap into place and remove as needed.

Why we love it:

This project is the epitome of customization! It looks gorgeous and makes for a very exciting user experience, even if it is a bit delicate. There are so many options when it comes to adding your own modules that it makes this project stand out in both concept and execution.

Read: Raspberry Pi RP2040 Magnetic Macropad

Raspberry Pi ReBoi Game Boy Color Drop-in Kit

We've covered a few cool Pi-powered drop-in kits for a variety of handhelds over the years and knew immediately that this one was too cool to not to share. Dubbed the Raspberry Pi ReBoi, this PCB is designed to fit inside of an original (or reproduction) Game Boy Color.

Why we love it:

You don't need to modify any original hardware to use this kit. If you'd rather leave your Game Boy Color untouched, you can easily buy aftermarket parts to complete the custom build. This project also includes a backlit LCD screen that replaces the original.

Read: Raspberry Pi ReBoi Game Boy Color Drop-in Kit

Raspberry Pi Pico Marble Clock

The idea to create a Pi-powered clock isn't exactly new, but maker and developer C Forde definitely put a new spin on the concept by creating this awesome Raspberry Pi Pico marble clock. Marbles are rotated up the spires to indicate the current time and held in place with a few magnets.

Why we love it:

This is one of the most unique clocks we've ever seen, hands down. It encompasses quite a few areas of technology ranging from 3D printing to programming microelectronics. The end result looks fascinating and works like a charm.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Marble Clock

Raspberry Pi Pico Smartwatch

Wearable Pi-powered tech is always fashionable in our book. This Raspberry Pi Pico smartwatch is RP2040-powered and features a custom-made open source interface. It connects to nearby devices using Bluetooth and can manage things like calls, notifications, media and more.

Why we love it:

It's cool to see the Pico used in something that's not only useful but can be easily taken on the go. The round LCD and 3D-printed housing is icing on the cake. It's portable, functional, and open source. What's not to love?

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Smartwatch

Raspberry Pi RP2040 ThinkPad Nubbin Light Dimmer

ThinkPad owners are known to be passionate about the Track Point but this is the first time we've seen one used as a light switch dimmer. This Raspberry Pi RP2040 ThinkPad nubbin light switch dimmer works by touch input or via web browser from a smartphone.

Why we love it:

This is one of the most hilarious implementations of a Track Point we've ever seen. We're just glad it had a Raspberry Pi working behind the scenes so we could feature it in our list. This project makes us wonder what other use cases could be improved with a ThinkPad Track Point for input…

Read: Raspberry Pi RP2040 ThinkPad Nubbin Light Dimmer

It’s no secret that we here at Tom’s Hardware love the Raspberry Pi and everything else that comes with it. From the official boards made by Raspberry Pi like the newly released Raspberry Pi 5 and third-party creations that use the RP2040 chip, if it’s got a Pi in it, we want to check it out. We cover Pi projects made by the maker community all year round and once a month we like to round up the most exciting projects to catch our attention, and this month is no different.

We’ve got some really cool projects to share with you that range from simple constructions to seriously complex designs. As always, these makers use the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs to bring their projects to life. We’ll be sure to gather all the details you want to know about what goes into these projects and how they work so you can either make it yourself at home or just ogle at the amazing work put forth by the maker community.

Raspberry Pi 5 FrankenPi 5

While everyone was busy waiting for news about the Raspberry Pi 5, the social media team over at the Raspberry Pi Foundation was hard at work trying to meet everyone’s demands. This Raspberry Pi 5 Social Media Edition PCB has everything you need including common Python libraries, all of the USB support you’ll ever need and even a bat signal.

Why we love it:

Like we said in the intro paragraph, we’re suckers for official Raspberry Pi hardware. If you see this board and don’t get tickled inside—we don’t know what to tell you. Clearly the team had all of us in the Pi community in mind when putting together this amazing board.

Read: Raspberry Pi 5 Social Media Edition

Raspberry Pi Zero W Animatronic Fox Companion

This animatronic fox head is made using a Raspberry Pi Zero W. It controls servos to wiggle the ear and tilt the head to either side. Some LCD screens are used to animate the eyes. All of the hardware is mounted inside the head which is comprised of a custom 3D printed frame.

Why we love it:

If we could give the late Jim Henson a Raspberry Pi, surely he’d put together something neat like this. It’s one thing to make a virtual assistant but building a fuzzy buddy from scratch like this takes the idea to a whole new level.

Read: Animatronic Fox Head

Raspberry Pi Cinewhoop Drone

There’s a lot of overlap in the technology behind drones and microelectronics. It should come as no surprise that we came across this cool Raspberry Pi Cinewhoop Drone project put together by Artur Pękosz. It can record video while in flight and also relay it remotely to the operator using FPV goggles.

Why we love it:

It’s always refreshing to be reminded that so many things we take for granted and buy pre-made can be built from scratch. This is a well done example of how the Pi can be used to operate a drone and handle FPV hardware support.

Read: Raspberry Pi Cinewhoop Drone

Raspberry Pi Debuggy Ducky

Coding can be tricky even for the most experienced. That’s why you need a Raspberry Pi Debuggy Ducky. It uses ChatGPT to help troubleshoot your code using speech to text and text to speech to process the interaction. Unfortunately, he’s not waterproof so no coding in the bathtub.

Why we love it:

This is a very clever project idea and the end result looks adorable. It’s hard to go wrong with a friendly companion like the classic rubber ducky when looking for a home for your ChatGPT virtual assistant.

Read: Raspberry Pi Debuggy Ducky

Raspberry Pi ZeroWriter eInk Typewriter

While most everyone else has a smartphone on hand to take notes, Tincangames has created something a bit different to take on the go. This custom word processor is known as the Raspberry Pi ZeroWriter. It’s a typewriter with a keyboard and eInk display for outputting content as you type.

Why we love it:

This is a wonderfully unique project and the execution is so well done. We wouldn’t just like to check this out for ourselves in person, we’d like one of our own! It’s beautiful to look at and works just as well as it looks.

Read: Raspberry Pi ZeroWriter eInk Typewriter

Raspberry Pi FarmGuard

Farming is tough business and it only takes one pack of curious animals to wreak havoc on all your hard work. That’s where projects like FarmGuard, created by maker Samith, come into play. It uses the power of AI to monitor for unwanted animals and sends notifications to alert farmers of the troublesome wildlife.

Why we love it:

This is a really cool use case for AI-powered image recognition on the Raspberry Pi. It’s a well designed project with a really useful end product. You can also tweak the model to suit whatever animal you want to keep an eye out for and tailor it to your environment.

Read: Raspberry Pi FarmGuard

Raspberry Push Notification Mailbox

This Raspberry Pi push notification mailbox lets you decide when you receive push notifications. It works by blocking specific IPs associated with push notifications, only allowing them through if the mailbox detects that your smartphone has been placed inside.

Why we love it:

This project is as close as you can get to checking the mail without checking your mail. It’s a really clever idea and the implementation lends to a useful and somewhat novelty creation. If you’re tired of push notifications, this might be the project for you.

Read: Raspberry Push Notification Mailbox

Raspberry Pi Detects Ghost Aircraft Using SDR

This Raspberry Pi aircraft ghost detector project is designed to detect hackers. It scans for nearby aircraft and uses AI to determine if there are any abnormalities in its reading that would suggest it might otherwise be a fake aircraft placed virtually by a malicious party. The maker behind this project, Angelina Tsuboi, is a pilot and took it for a real life test run in an airplane.

Why we love it:

Wrapping your head around a project like this is kind of hard to do. You have to have not only a niche set of interests but special access to really put this device to the test. This is a really neat idea and it’s cool to see it airborne.

Read: Raspberry Pi Detects Ghost Aircraft Using SDR

Raspberry Pi Doom Air Hockey Table

This air hockey table does so much more than let you play air hockey. It has a Raspberry Pi powering the whole operation so you get the added benefit of an entire desktop alongside the tabletop features. This means you can play Doom on the Doom air hockey table.

Why we love it:

We like the Raspberry Pi, we like Doom, we all knew where this was going. A custom built air hockey table is cool enough on its own but this one is decked out with all the right theming and hardware to get us excited.

Read: Raspberry Pi Doom Air Hockey Table

Raspberry Pi Plant Watering Robot Dog

Forget to water your plants? Don’t worry about it! This Raspberry Pi-powered robotic dog will walk around and water them for you. It identifies whether or not a plant needs to be watered using image recognition and artificial intelligence.

Why we love it:

This project is next level cool! There are so many obstacles to overcome from the hardware and locomotion design to the software and model building for the AI system. Overall this is a really cool idea and very well executed project.

Read: Raspberry Pi Plant Watering Robot Dog

Tom's Hardware Projects

We love the Raspberry Pi so much that we’re usually nose deep in wires and solder building projects ourselves. It’s hard not to get the creative juices flowing when we get to cover so many cool Pi projects throughout each week. Here are a few cool projects the staff here at Tom’s Hardware have put together lately.

How To Reduce Raspberry Pi 5, 4 Standby Power Consumption

In this guide, Les shows us what you can do to reduce the power consumption of your Raspberry Pi 5 or Raspberry Pi 4 when idling in standby mode. This is useful for projects in which the Pi isn’t used consistently throughout the day.

Read: How To Reduce Raspberry Pi 5, 4 Standby Power Consumption

How to turbo-charge your Raspberry Pi 5 with an NVMe boot drive

You read that right, we’re giving the Raspberry Pi 5 the boost it deserves using an NVMe boot drive. In this guide, Les goes over all of the steps and hardware you’ll need to duplicate this project for yourself at home.

Read: How to turbo-charge your Raspberry Pi 5 with an NVMe boot drive

The holiday season is in full swing and we can assume all the best behaved Raspberry Pi fans can expect a Raspberry Pi 5 in their stocking. If you’re not sure what to do with all the cool Pi gadgets you’re getting this season, you can always use our list of Pi projects for inspiration.

These makers use the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs to bring their ideas to fruition. And when they can’t find a cool HAT to use, they make one from scratch by ordering custom PCBs and a slew of adapter cables. Are you ready to be blown away? These are some of the best Pi projects we’ve had the honor of covering over the last month.

Raspberry Pi Powers Smart Kitchen Display

Is your kitchen missing something? You might need a smart display like this cool one created by Stanislav Khromov. Using our favorite SBC, he’s managed to create a useful tool that shares everything from recipes to weather data. You can program it with a variety of applications which makes it super versatile.

Why we love it:

It’s a simple idea but surprisingly handy. If you’re looking for something to make as a gift or maybe you want to treat yourself to a fancy new upgraded kitchen experience, then this project is definitely up your alley.

Read: Raspberry Pi Smart Kitchen Display

Groc: A Raspberry Pi Granular Synth

If there’s one thing that goes with Pi, it’s jam—as in you can totally jam with this Pi project! Oddment audio is using a Raspberry Pi to drive their granular synth. You can twist the knobs and create a unique digital sound, all aided by the processing power of a Pi 4.

Why we love it:

We’re waiting for the day that Raspberry Pis can be found in every music class and orchestra. Just kidding, but we really appreciate seeing makers extend their creative endeavors with the Pi into the world of music.

Read: Groc Raspberry Pi Granular Synth

10-year-old Raspberry Pi Runs for 6 Years Straight

We know that the Raspberry Pi is a hardy board, but just how hardy is it? This maker has been using an original Raspberry Pi for over 10 years. In a screenshot, they demonstrated how it’s run successfully for more than 6 years straight without a reboot.

Why we love it:

If you’ve ever wondered how long a Pi 1 can run for, this project sheds some light on the answer. It’s cool enough to see an original Pi getting some love 10 years later, let alone one that’s still operating like the nifty little workhorse it is.

Read: Raspberry Pi Runs for 6 Years

Raspberry Pi NASA Balloon Data Collector

The Raspberry Pi is a useful tool not only for casual users and enthusiasts but also professionals and scientists. Want proof? Here’s a cool project put together by NASA that uses Pis to help collect backup data for their atmospheric balloon.

Why we love it:

We know the Pi has a lot of potential and this is a great example of how it can be used for serious educational research purposes. Even though this was a backup project, it ended up being useful in retrieving data for the overall mission.

Read: Raspberry Pi NASA Balloon

Raspberry Pi RP2040 Trackball Kit

If you’re into trackballs, you’re sure to love this gorgeous trackball kit designed by maker and developer Ploopy. It uses a Raspberry Pi RP2040 as the main driver and features a really nice looking shell that you can make in any color combination you like.

Why we love it:

Why buy an input device you kind of like when you could build one from scratch that you love? That’s what Ploopy seems to have been thinking when creating this awesome DIY kit. It looks fantastic and the final product is an easy-to-repair tool to keep on hand.

Read: Raspberry Pi RP2040 Trackball Kit

Raspberry Pi Zero Fractal Art Picture Frame

Who says Raspberry Pis can’t be artsy? No one we assume. But if they did, we would point them to this cool Pi Zero fractal art picture frame project created by maker and developer wearemessingup. It uses a Pi to generate fractals and displays them on an eInk display.

Why we love it:

It’s an unassuming picture frame that you might not notice right off the bat but upon closer inspection, you’ll be enamored by the amazing process that goes behind generating these simple images.

Read: Raspberry Pi Zero Fractal Art Picture Frame

Raspberry Pi 5 Uses External Graphics Card

You read that right! Jeff Geerling cannot be stopped and now that someone has put a Pi 5 in his hands, we have to deal with all sorts of cool developments like this. It took quite a bit of work and requires an additional board to connect it, but Geerling has managed to use an external graphics card with a Pi 5.

Why we love it:

We hardly need to explain ourselves here but here goes anyway. What Geerling has done is a seriously cool example of how the Pis potential can be pushed beyond its intended purpose. Is this a useful project? Maybe not in itself but the implications of it are exciting.

Read: Raspberry Pi 5 External Graphics Card

Maker Creates Raspberry Pi CM5

Are you waiting for a Raspberry Pi CM5? We are, too, but maker Arturi182 isn’t. Instead of waiting like the rest of us, he took some iBB

Why we love it:

Is this project necessary? We don’t care—it’s a really fun idea! Arturo182’s creation is a shining example of how sometimes the best projects are made because you can, not because you should.

Read: Maker Creates Raspberry Pi CM5

Maker Creates Raspberry Pi 500

With one maker having created a Raspberry Pi CM5, it was only time before someone put together a custom Raspberry Pi 500 and Christopher Barnatt with Explaining Computers was quick to jump in to tackle the task. This creation has everything you’ll find on the Pi 400 but with the computing power of a Raspberry Pi 5.

Why we love it:

We don’t feel like waiting for a Pi 500 either, so we don’t blame Barnatt for jumping the gun and creating one for himself. ThIs project is a fun idea and is an excellent example of how a little bit of ingenuity can net you a totally unique user experience.

Read: Maker Creates Raspberry Pi 500

Raspberry Pi Harry Potter Newspaper

Creating a custom PCB is often used for achieving a specific function. In this case, the PCB is a work of art designed to resemble the look and feel of newspapers as they’re described in the Harry Potter franchise. Images move (thanks to a Raspberry Pi) above some funny headlines that splice Raspberry Pi stuff into the magical themed articles.

Why we love it:

This project is really cool and you don’t have to be a Harry Potter fan to appreciate it. The PCB is more than a circuit board, it’s artwork and it looks amazing. If you want a nice circuit board you can take home to Mom, this is the project for you.

Read: Raspberry Pi Harry Potter Newspaper

Tom's Hardware Projects

We’re huge fans of the Raspberry Pi so it should come as no surprise that we’ve been busy creating Pi projects of our own. Here’s what we’ve been up to as well as instructions for you to follow along with at home, as well.

How To Use Dual Cameras on the Raspberry Pi 5

You can use two cameras with the Raspberry Pi 5 but it might not be as straightforward as you think. In this guide, Les shows us how you can use multiple cameras at the same time on the Raspberry Pi 5.

Read: How To Use Dual Cameras on the Raspberry Pi 5

The winter season is almost here as we wind down the year with some amazing Raspberry Pi projects. These are some of the best creations we’ve had the honor of featuring over the last month. As always, these makers use the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs available to bring their ideas to life.

It’s also worth noting that the Raspberry Pi 5 has debuted and we’re very excited to share some projects and a closer look at the new boards capabilities. In addition to looking at what the community is up to, we also have a tutorial to share from the staff here at Tom’s Hardware.

Raspberry Pi Robot Doly

This project, known as Doly, is completely open source with a Kickstarter accompanying its release for those who want to purchase the unit already made. This little companion bot features a Raspberry Pi and locomotes using tank tracks. There are two round LCD screens used to animate its eyes.

Why we love it:

This is one of those projects that’s fun to learn with but also leaves you with something cool to play with when you’re done putting it together. If you want to learn the basics of robotics, this is a fun starting point.

Read: Raspberry Pi Robot Doly

Raspberry Pi Pico Cat Food Dispenser

If you have cats to take care of, you might want to have a little fun and use a Raspberry Pi Pico to create something they can use. Maker Anthony Douglas did just as much when he designed this Pico-powered cat food dispenser.

Why we love it:

We love projects that are practical and this one has a real world use case that makes the effort of building it that much more worth it. You can 3D print the body used in its design and as the dispenser is completely open source.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Cat Food Dispenser

Raspberry Pi Smart Vertical Farm

Vertical farming is all about saving space and moving your plants into structures like shelving units. This can make it tricky to manage and care for your plants depending on the scale of your garden. That’s where Tanay Tanay’s Raspberry Pi smart vertical farming project comes in. It uses a Pi along with a variety of sensors to monitor plants and make adjustments to optimize the plant’s environment automatically.

Why we love it:

This project isn’t exclusive to vertical farms but it does make managing them easier. But because it’s so adaptable, you could use a setup like this to monitor any plant and remotely water them using the pump system.

Read: Raspberry Pi Smart Vertical Farm

Raspberry Pi Pico Therapy Timer

Timers are simple concepts but this Pico-powered therapy timer adds an intriguing level of complexity that results in a beautiful end product. Instead of using numbers, the timer’s status is relayed using various colors. According to the maker, Matthias Wandel, the goal was to create something unobtrusive that counselors and therapists could use during sessions.

Why we love it:

The project works great as intended but the effort taken to diffuse the light and construct a wooden case from scratch is just icing on the cake. It even has wooden buttons on the top for adjusting the timer settings.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Therapy Timer

Cluster of 32 Raspberry Pis

If there’s one thing that always brings together a classroom, it’s a teacher with plenty of passion to share. Mike Reed is a leading example of such a character as demonstrated in his amazing Raspberry Pi cluster. This project serves as a learning tool for his tech class in which he teaches programming and other microelectronics fundamentals.

Why we love it:

This project might be used as a learning tool but it is a learning tool itself. Reed’s clusters are neatly designed and executed just as well. We love the effort put into making these clusters and the features he’s implemented to make his job as a teacher that much easier.

Read: Cluster of 32 Raspberry Pis

Raspberry Pi Translates Speech to Sign Language with Robotic Hand

The Raspberry Pi is a great tool for those looking to bridge communication gaps. But while oftentimes that means using a Pi to make an adapter of sorts, this communication gap is bridged between people. Prabhjot Singh is using a Raspberry Pi to serve as a translation platform called Deaf Link  that enables deaf people to communicate with hearing people using a robotic hand to produce sign language.

Why we love it:

We love any project that makes life easier and this project is a great example of just that. The hearing person doesn’t even need to know sign language at all in order to use the machine. A Raspberry Pi is responsible for handling the sign language interpretation entirely.

Read: Raspberry Pi Translates Speech to Sign Language

Raspberry Pi 5 Projects

The Raspberry Pi 5 is finally available and we’ve already got a few projects and demos that push the new board to its limits. If you want to see what the new Pi is capable of, this is a great look at what it can accomplish.

Recalbox Emulation Tested

LeePSPVideo got his hands on the Pi 5 early and wanted to see how well it handled Recalbox. The Pi 5 has some notable performance advantages over the Pi 4 and it’s already looking like a great retro gaming platform. There are a few factors to consider like temperature and what display you’re outputting to when it comes to tweaking performance.

Read: Recalbox Emulation Tested

Raspberry Pi 5 Emulates Nintendo GameCube and Wii

Raspberry Pis in the past have been unable to successfully emulate the Nintendo GameCube and Wii platforms. That seems to have changed as demonstrated by LeePSPVideo’s foray into running Dolphin on the Raspberry Pi 5. Check out this video if you want to see how well it performs with the new specs.

Read: Raspberry Pi 5 Emulates Nintendo GameCube and Wii

Raspberry Pi 5 Team Talk RP1

One of the most interesting parts of the Raspberry Pi 5’s design is its use of the RP1 chip. The story of its development dates back to 2015 and is definitely worth learning about if you’re a fan of the Raspberry Pi and excited about the new board.

Read: Raspberry Pi 5 Team Talk RP1

Raspberry Pi 5 Compatible OS 'Bookworm' Officially Released

A new board requires a new OS and that’s what we got with the release of Bookworm. This operating system is necessary if you want to use the new Raspberry Pi 5. It’s flashed using Raspberry Pi Imager just the same as previous Raspberry Pi OS editions.

Read: Raspberry Pi OS Bookworm Officially Released

Tom's Hardware Projects

After spending so much time looking through these amazing projects, we often become inspired ourselves. Here’s a look at the latest Raspberry Pi tutorials to come from the team here at Tom’s Hardware over the last month.

Overclocking Raspberry Pi 5 to 3 GHz

The new Raspberry Pi has plenty of specs to get excited about but Les is already pushing the board to its limits. If you want to know more about overclocking the Raspberry Pi 5, check this out and see what it’s capable of.

Read: Overclocking Raspberry Pi 5 to 3 GHz

How to Set Up a Headless Raspberry Pi 5

If you want to get off the ground with a Raspberry Pi, you’ll need to set it up. But what if you don’t have a monitor? Running a Pi without a display is known as operating a headless system. Here’s our guide on how you can set up a headless Raspberry Pi 5 put together by Editor in Chief Avram Piltch.

Read: How to Set Up a Headless Raspberry Pi 5

How to Emulate PlayStation 2 on the Raspberry Pi 5

Have you been looking for an SBC capable of emulating the PlayStation 2? It turns out the Raspberry Pi 5 has got what it takes and Les has already put a guide together to show us how to set it up. Check it out to see what you need to do in order to start gaming on this classic platform.

Read: How to Emulate PlayStation 2 on the Raspberry Pi 5

Fall is here and Raspberry Pi makers around the world are harvesting their best ideas into fruition. These are some of the best Raspberry Pi projects we’ve featured over the last month and we thought they deserved a little extra attention. If you’re looking for inspiration or just to see what the community has been up to, this is the best place to start.

As always, these makers pulled out the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs money can buy just to create something cool with our favorite SBC. It’s been an exciting time for the community lately thanks to the announcement of the Raspberry Pi 5. We’re eager to see what the Pi community is going to do with the latest board but in the meantime, you can check out our projects to see what we’ve done with it so far.

Raspberry Pi RP2040 Becomes PalmOS PDA

Remember Palm PDAs? Now you can recreate the experience thanks to this Raspberry Pi RP2040 PalmOS PDA project. It has a touchscreen display and plenty of features to tinker around with. It’s neat to see the old PalmOS get some love and even more exciting to see it run on an RP2040. Grinberg named the project RePalm.

Why we love it:

We’re suckers for old hardware and love to see the niche communities that gather around obsolete systems like flip phones, Blackberries or in this case Palm PDAs. RePalm is a great demonstration of how the RP2040 can help revitalize the experience for both old users and new.

Read: Raspberry Pi RP2040 Becomes PalmOS PDA

Raspberry Pi Confetti Bot

Image credit: Hazal Mestci

Are you ready to party? Not without this Raspberry Pi confetti bot, you’re not! There are some things in life that are just a bit more exciting when automated. Sure, you could open a confetti popper on demand but throwing a Raspberry Pi into the mix adds for some unique use cases—especially if you’re looking to surprise someone. This project uses a Pi to automatically activate a tiny confetti cannon using a custom 3D printed mount and motor.

Why we love it:

If your party has a Pi in it, we want to be there. This is a really fun example of how you can use a Pi to implement creative ideas in a way that interacts with others. There are so many ways you could modify this project and we like brainstorming what we would do ourselves from blasting music to activating LEDs.

Read: Raspberry Pi Confetti Bot

Raspberry Pi AI Traffic Monitor

Collecting data from complex sources is getting easier every day thanks to AI. This traffic monitoring project, put together by a maker known as Naveem, is using a Raspberry Pi to monitor traffic using a custom trained AI model. This project is useful for urban planners and others looking to monitor local transportation flow.

Why we love it:

It’s neat to see data pulled in real time from an AI system that’s tracking vehicles with image recognition. This is a very useful project that could help a variety of industries and the technology that put it together just happens to be our favorite.

Read: Raspberry Pi AI Traffic Monitor

Raspberry Pi Pico Hexagon Heart

The combination of technology and art is truly unique, taking on the expressions of the designer in a digital fashion. This RGB Pico heart project is using a Pico to drive LEDs inside of a decoration shaped like a heart made from hexagons. The housing is 3D printed with individually addressable LED strips inside.

Why we love it:

This is a very cool looking project that’s also capable of being modified. You can use the STL files generated for this design and modify the hexagons around into all sorts of unique shapes. If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at trendy wall decor, now is your chance.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Hexagon Heart

Raspberry Pi Pico /r/Place Display

There’s no place like /r/Place. If you’re not familiar with /r/Place, this is a subreddit on a forum website Reddit. There, users are able to place one pixel at a time on a shared canvas. Over time, images can be created on a large scale requiring quite a bit of collaboration to pull off. This /r/Place Pico project uses a Raspberry Pi Pico to show sections of this giant image on an e-Ink display.

Why we love it:

We love the Pico, we love community projects, this was just a win win! /R/Place is a cool concept that’s stood up over the years as a great example of what community driven effort can achieve. This project highlights that hard work.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico /r/Place Display

Raspberry Pi Pico Flexible Keyboard

Keyboard too big? No problem. Maker and developer Kārlis has created a super thin keyboard that relies on our favorite microcontroller, the Raspberry Pi Pico, as its main driver. This keyboard is very flexible and is small enough to fit inside a Steam Deck case. The Pico provides USB interface support.

Why we love it:

Sometimes you do things because you can, not because you should and this is a good example of that idea. The keyboard Kārlis made is really neat when you dig into how it’s put together and how much work it took to pull off but the end result isn’t exactly practical when it comes to gaming. But that was never really the point. The point is we love it.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Flexible Keyboard

Raspberry Pi RP2040 Tombstone

Image credit: Adafruit, Ruiz brothers

Halloween will be here before you know it! Are you looking for something scary to decorate your home with? You need to check out this creepy Raspberry Pi RP2040 tombstone project put together by the Ruiz brothers for Adafruit.

Why we love it:

You could take this idea and modify it with all sorts of Halloween props and various sensors. If you’re going to make something spooky for decor, you might as well go all out and there’s tons of room to create a simple or complex decoration for your haunted maker mansion.

Read: Raspberry Pi RP2040 Tombstone

Raspberry Pi 'Technoframes'

Technoframes is an art project put together by Max Björverud. These works of art have hands worked into the design. When you touch a hand, part of a techno track starts to loop. The end result is a custom techno project that changes depending on what hands are being touched at a given time.

Why we love it:

We’ve never seen anything quite like Björverud’s Technoframes. This project is a great example of how to fuse technology and art for an end result that’s just as fun to play with as it was to build.

Read: Raspberry Pi 'Technoframes'

Raspberry Pi ISS Model

Head in the clouds? Bring it back down to Earth with this articulated Raspberry Pi ISS replica. It uses data taken directly from NASA to adjust the model in real time so you can see what the space station is doing when it happens.

Why we love it:

This project is open source which means files are available for anyone who wants to recreate it at home. This would be a fun project for a computer science class or even just a space enthusiast looking for something cool to put on the center of their mantle piece.

Read: Raspberry Pi ISS Model

Raspberry Pi Generates News Headline Images with AI

AI is arguably getting out of hand in some regards, so why not have a little bit of fun with it? Roy van der Veen is using AI with a Raspberry Pi to generate images based on text from news headlines. Sometimes the images are fitting, sometimes they’re hilariously out of place due to a blatant misinterpretation of the text.

Why we love it:

This is an artsy way to integrate AI with the Raspberry Pi and the final project is unlike anything we’ve come across before. It’s such a simple idea but it makes for a truly unique experience. Roy van der Veen did a great job piecing this one together.

Read: Raspberry Pi Generates News Headline Images with AI

Tom's Hardware Projects

It’s hard to look at all of these cool Raspberry Pi creations without getting inspired to tinker ourselves. Here’s a look at what the staff of Tom’s Hardware has been up to lately. We’ve got a gaming tutorial that’s definitely worth checking out and have been dabbling with the new Raspberry Pi 5.

How to Play AAA Games on Your Raspberry Pi

Have you ever wanted to play AAA titles on your Raspberry Pi? That’s totally in the realm of possibility! In this guide, Les goes everything you need to get started both hardware-wise and software with a step-by-step tutorial.

Read: How to Play AAA Games on Your Raspberry Pi

We Overclocked Raspberry Pi 5 to 3 GHz, Up to 25% Perf Boost

This isn’t exactly a tutorial per se but it’s a fun read for any fan of the Raspberry Pi eager to see what the new Raspberry Pi 5 is capable of. This is setting the bar for makers to push the boundaries of its performance. Now we play the waiting game to see what new heights it can reach.

Read: We Overclocked Raspberry Pi 5

As fall quickly approaches, the leaves are changing and Raspberry Pi enthusiasts are formatting their SD cards. We’ve got another batch of awesome Pi projects to showcase for you this month that are guaranteed to inspire your inner maker. So warm up your best soldering irons and get ready for some awe inspiring creations.

These makers use the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs to bring their ideas to fruition and what they couldn’t find on the market, they made themselves. From rotary phone assistants with sassy German accents to keycaps that run Doom, this list has a little bit of everything.

Raspberry Pi Carrier Board 'SaraKit' Powers LEGO RC Car

This LEGO RC car put together by Artur Majtczak and Maciek Matuszewski is definitely unique. From its LEGO construction to its dual differential axles, this build has a notably crafty design. It also features a custom board built by the team known as SaraKit.The car can be driven remotely using a smartphone interface.

Why we love it:

There’s a lot of work that went into creating this car and we admire every ounce of effort. The LEGO frame is exciting and the precision in the axle system is absolutely something to be admired. We’ve seen quite a few Pi-powered RC cards but this one has a unique flavor we just can’t pass up.

Read: Raspberry Pi Carrier Board 'SaraKit' Powers LEGO RC Car

Raspberry Pi Interstellar's TARS Replica

If you’re a fan of Interstellar, you’re going to love this project created by Charlie Diaz. It’s a working replica of the TARS robot and it actually locomotes. This thing walks like nothing we’ve ever seen and the work it took to perfect the walking mechanism is worth a spot on our list today.

Why we love it:

We love how sci-fi movies can inspire makers and this is a prime example of that connection. It also helps that we’re total suckers for movie robots. Bringing them to the real world is only going to get you bonus points on our list.

Read: Raspberry Pi Interstellar's TARS Replica

Raspberry Pi ChatGPT Rotary Phone Assistant With German Accent

Voice assistants are nothing new and neither are rotary phones but you’ve probably never seen a rotary phone voice assistant. This project, created by Zoltan T, works as you might expect. Just pick up the receiver and make a request to the voice assistant. The fun twist with this particular build is his decision to use ChatGPT to help give the assistant a German accent.

Why we love it:

This is a fun idea that we’ve seen before. However, the decision to add an accent to the voice assistant adds so much more personality that would otherwise be missed by a neutral tone. This is one project we wouldn’t mind creating for ourselves.

Read: Raspberry Pi ChatGPT Rotary Phone Assistant With German Accent

Raspberry Pi Hunts Shiny Pokémon

Finding a shiny Pokémon is really hard, like trying to wake a Snorlax without a pokéflute hard. That’s why maker Dinones decided to use a Raspberry Pi to do the shiny hunting instead! Just boot up the Pi and let it do its thing while you sleep. When you wake up, you’re bound to have a shiny or two on hand.

Why we love it:

We love gaming, we love the Raspberry Pi and we love using the Raspberry Pi to enhance our gaming experience! This project might not be for everyone. Shiny hunting is its own realm and this could be considered cheating by some—but we can’t help but admire the effort that went into automating this grueling process.

Read: Raspberry Pi Hunts Shiny Pokémon

Raspberry Pi Companion Robot

Robots are our friends…at least in an ideal world. If you want to avoid suffering at the mercy of robot overlords, you can start out by making your own Raspberry Pi companion robot like maker and developer Dan Nicholson.

Why we love it:

We love robots—especially Pi-powered robots—and this one is bipedal. There are a lot of neat components that went into this build,It  from AI for image recognition to an Arduino as a secondary SBC.

Read: Raspberry Pi Companion Robot

Raspberry Pi RP2040 Runs Doom on a Keycap

Bob with TheKeebProject must have a really good magnifying glass handy because this Pi project is super tiny. He’s managed to run Doom on a single keycap thanks to an RP2040 microprocessor. Is this practical? You’re asking the wrong question.

Why we love it:

We love all the crazy things people use as a platform to run Doom. This keycap is the latest in a long line of impressive and nonsensical Doom-compatible devices. Silly or not, we’re impressed by the end results.

Read: Raspberry Pi RP2040 Runs Doom on a Keycap

Raspberry Pi Lightsaber

Have you dreamed of building your own lightsaber? Now you can! This project from Adafruit outlines everything you need and how to assemble your own Raspberry Pi-powered lightsaber.You will need a 3D printer or access to one for the handle components.

Why we love it:

There’s always a bigger Pi—but an RP2040 will do for this project. This is a great project to make for fun, as a teaching aid or as a gift. This is a classic prop from one of the biggest sci fi franchises around, what’s not to love?

Read: Raspberry Pi Lightsaber

Raspberry Pi Mood Light

Mood rings were all the rage back in the 90s—Mohammad Reza Sharifi’s mood light project is the next obvious step that brings this trend into the 21st century. It uses everything from a Raspberry Pi Pico to the power of AI to pick a color for your lamp based on your current mood (or at least whatever the AI is interpreting from your expression).

Why we love it:

Do you have any idea how many colors you can generate with RGB LEDs these days? Picking a color is a huge decision. Why not let AI make the pick for you? This project makes life a little easier and much more colorful.

Read: Raspberry Pi Mood Light

Raspberry Pi Tells Your Fortune with ChatGPT and Game Boy Parts

Evan Holbert’s project is unlike any arcade cabinet we’ve ever seen. The movie Big would have hit a lot different if this was in place of Zoltar. It works like this—you put in a quarter while a Pi uses parts from an old Game Boy to render a fortune for you that’s printed on a small thermal printer.

Why we love it:

Creative doesn’t even begin to describe what went into this project. It’s incredibly artsy and super niche. If you love the Raspberry Pi, classic arcade cabinets, Game Boys and things on the occult side, this project is sure to knock your socks off.

Read: Raspberry Pi Tells Your Fortune with ChatGPT and Game Boy Parts

Raspberry Pi Effects Pedal Distorts Keyboard and Mouse Input

Some of the best Pi projects we’ve ever seen come from makers who instead of asking “Why?” would rather ask “Why not?” and there’s no better example of this in our recent findings than this Raspberry Pi-powered effects pedal. This pedal doesn’t make effects for guitars, however. Oh no—it’s much more hectic. It distorts keyboard and mouse input.

Why we love it:

Why would you need a reverb for your mouse? We don’t know and we don’t care. You can add a reverb effect using this pedal and we think that’s hilarious. Want to swap your keyboard and mouse input? No? Well too bad, this pedal makes it possible with the push of a button and this kind of chaos is exactly what we love about this project.

Read: Raspberry Pi Effects Pedal Distorts Keyboard and Mouse Input

Tom's Hardware Projects

It’s impossible for us here at Tom’s Hardware to sit idly by while all these makers have fun cooking up awesome projects. Here’s what the staff has been up to this month along with guides to walk you through recreating our projects for yourself at home.

How to Send Alerts From Raspberry Pi Pico W to a Phone or Tablet

In this guide, Les puts the W (aka wireless) in Raspberry Pi Pico W to good use by showing us how you can go about sending alerts to your phone or mobile device from the Pico. This is a really flexible tool to have in your arsenal and definitely worth checking out if you want to use the Pico W for your latest project.

Read: How to Send Alerts From Raspberry Pi Pico W to a Phone or Tablet

It’s already August and we’ve got another batch of Raspberry Pi projects to share. We have tons of cool creations to share that are guaranteed to inspire your inner maker. So heat up one of the best soldering irons and grab a blank SD card—these are some of the best Pi projects we’ve featured over the last month and we think they deserve some extra attention.

As usual, these makers are some of the most creative out there, using the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs to bring their unique ideas to fruition. Some of them even developed custom PCBs just to pull off their designs.

Raspberry Pi Smart Bird Feeder

Bird watching is a rewarding hobby but what about the sneaky guests that slip by when you’re not around? That’s where Hermy65’s Raspberry Pi Smart Bird Feeder project comes into play. It lures in birds with free food and snaps pictures of them once they land on the feeder. Using AI, it then assesses the images to help determine what kind of bird stopped by.

Why we love it:

Pi projects that connect with nature are always exciting. There are so many bird varieties in the world, it’s exciting to see what rarities are nearby when you aren’t looking. It’s also a great integration with AI and showcases the creative potential of using ML with a hobby like this.

Read: Raspberry Pi Smart Bird Feeder

Raspberry Pi Automatic Lawn Mower

Tired of mowing the lawn? We hear you. It just keeps growing and growing! With this Raspberry Pi automatic lawn mower project, however, you can automate the task and spend your time relaxing or making more cool Pi projects. It has a nice web interface which makes it easy to control and monitor remotely.

Why we love it:

Any Pi project that makes life easier is a winner in our book. Work smart, not hard, we say! It’s still technically a work in progress but what the team has put together so far is still very impressive and we already wish we had one to beta test…for study purposes, of course.

Read: Raspberry Pi Automatic Lawn Mower

Raspberry Pi Memory Box

This Raspberry Pi memory box is a beautiful and creative way to share memories in the form of videos and pictures. To use it, NFC cards are scanned which triggers a specific predetermined folder of videos to play on the screen. It has a built-in speaker and knob on the front to adjust volume.

Why we love it:

This was Kind-Rope5478’s first Pi project and it came out looking great. The wooden frame is gorgeous and carefully frames all of the hardware neatly inside. We like the idea and the finished product is just too beautiful not to appreciate.

Read: Raspberry Pi Memory Box

Stable Diffusion Runs on Pi Zero 2 W

Using AI to generate images takes a lot of power—way more than a Pi Zero 2 W. That said, Vito Plantamure has managed to get Stable Diffusion running on Pi Zero 2 W. It took quite a bit of work to create a low memory-using edition that would successfully create an image but here we are and the results speak for themselves.

Why we love it:

This is a great example of how a bit of hard work can push the boundaries of what the Pi is capable of. Is this the most practical way to run Stable Diffusion? No. Is it a really cool way to run Stable Diffusion? We think so!

Read: Stable Diffusion Runs on Pi Zero 2 W

Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Plays YouTube on 40-Year-Old Computer

Running old software on new hardware is one thing but getting modern applications to run on old hardware is an entirely different song and dance. This maker has managed to get a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W to play YouTube on a 40-year-old computer. Why would you want this? We don’t know. It’s just really cool and seeing it in action is super impressive.

Why we love it:

There are some projects that make you wonder why they’re put together and this might be one of them. Sometimes you just have to make something because you can, not because you should.

Read: Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W Plays YouTube on 40-Year-Old Computer

Raspberry Pi Pico Butt Warmer

Got a chilly butt? That’s your problem. But with this Raspberry Pi Pico butt warmer, it doesn’t have to be. Using our favorite microcontroller, Alan has devised a way to automatically heat his rump using the Pico along with the power of AI.

Why we love it:

This project is so silly and practical, it’s just too fun not to share. Sure, it’s a little bit dangerous—but them’s the brakes when it comes to developing life changing Pi projects. The idea itself is fun but we’re delighted to know it was also a developmental success.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Butt Warmer

Raspberry Pi Pico Chess Robot with ChatGPT

This Raspberry Pi Pico Chess Robot uses ChatGPT not only to perform as a formidable opponent but also hurl insults. Okay it doesn’t just act like a bully, it also cheats making it a true robotic villain. Face it—overcoming this robot is the only way you’ll get better at chess.

Why we love it:

It’s not a fair fight playing with a cheater but it is a fun fight when that cheater is a Pi-powered robot that uses AI to insult you while you play. The board is very well designed and took a lot of work to produce all the features it has. The googly eyes are just icing on the cake.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Chess Robot with ChatGPT

Raspberry Pi Pico Powered Cyberpunk Neck Watch

Looking for something super cool and super functional? This Raspberry Pi Pico-powered cyberpunk neck watch is the perfect accessory for the style-conscious maker of the future. Not only does it work as a cool clock, it looks really neat and features a custom PCB.

Why we love it:

This project is very well-executed and is too well-designed to leave off our list. It displays the time, plays gifs and even scrolls custom messages. If you want something to turn heads at the next maker convention, one of these would surely do the trick.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Powered Cyberpunk Neck Watch

Raspberry Pi Pico Tracks Run to the ISS with LED Ladder

To the ISS and beyond! This clever project is a fun way for maker Lorraine from Element 14 to track her family’s running progress. As everyone logs their cardio, so many steps are added to their ultimate goal of covering enough distance collectively to reach the ISS. The results are displayed through this Raspberry Pi Pico LED Ladder

Why we love it:

Calling this project clever really is putting it mildly. This is a very fun idea and exciting way to motivate everyone to do their best to reach fitness goals while simultaneously flexing their brain muscles.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Tracks Run to the ISS with LED Ladder

Raspberry Pi Pico Animates LED Retro Art 'Neon' Frames

You know what’s cooler than retro artwork? Raspberry Pi Pico Animated LED Retro Art! These frames are fantastic to look at and brilliantly designed. They’re also available for sale. Sprixels went above and beyond putting together these retro frames and we love the final results. A Pico is used to drive LED strips that illuminate different layers of acrylic sheets that are carefully cut to resemble various shapes and designs making it possible to animate some cool 8-bit themed artwork.

Why we love it:

We really don’t have to explain ourselves here. These retro art frames look fantastic and took an impressive amount of work to put together. We love the build process and the end result so much we absolutely had to feature it again.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Animates LED Retro Art 'Neon' Frames

Tom's Hardware Projects

The Pi community makes way too many cool things for us not to be inspired. Sometimes we can’t help ourselves here at Tom’s Hardware and put together some cool projects of our own. When we do, we’re always sure to share the details in the form of a tutorial. Here’s what we’ve been up to over the past month.

How To Monitor Your Houseplants With Raspberry Pi Pico W and Telegram

In this guide, Les shows us how you can safely monitor your house plants using a Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller. In this case, he’s using a Pico W which has wireless functionality. It’s able to connect to the internet and keep you up to date on your plants needs using Telegram.

Read: How To Monitor Your Houseplants With Raspberry Pi Pico W and Telegram

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

Summertime is here, for those of us in the northern hemisphere, and the Raspberry Pi community has plenty of projects sizzling on the grill! We cover tons of cool projects on a regular basis and now we’re taking a moment to highlight some of the best. It’s always hard to pick for this list because we’re really impressed with all of the projects we cover. That said, these ones are really cool and we think they’re worth some extra attention.

We’ve got all sorts of creations to inspire your inner maker from simple but clever designs to over-the-top projects that require a great deal of engineering to pull off. As always, these makers use the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs to bring their ideas to fruition. If you’re looking for something cool to work on this summer, look no further!

Raspberry Pi Pico Tarot Card Reader

This project is one of our most mysterious. Instead of toting around a deck of tarot cards, you can now use a Raspberry Pi to summon cards at the press of a button. It uses an e-Ink display so the last card displayed will remain on the screen even if the Pi is turned off. The maker, Echo-Lalia, even programmed a few surprise features including upside down cards and occasional glitches.

Why we love it:

This is a clever idea and very well executed. The decision to use an e-Ink display is both artitically merited and practical energy-wise from an engineering perspective. It would be one thing to draw random images from a button press but the decision to throw in upside down cards and distorted images at random makes for a fun element in the overall project design.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Tarot Card Reader

Raspberry Pi Pico Macropad Mouse

This project, created by maker Joe Scotto, isn’t what it looks like at first glance. Sure, you can tell it’s a macropad of sorts given that it has a series of buttons and can be operated with one hand. However, it has the added bonus of being a functional mouse. Instead of gliding the device around for navigation, users press the buttons to move it up, down, left, and right.

Why we love it:

This project is as cool as it is ridiculous. Scotto put plenty of thought into its design, enabling a scroll function as well as multi-button support for moving diagonally. Overall this is a well-designed project. Whether or not it’s practical is up to you to decide.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Macropad Mouse

Raspberry Pi Pico Piano Helper Lights

One thing is certain, Raspberry Pis are an excellent learning tool. We just didn’t expect we’d be using one to learn how to play the piano! This project uses a Pico to illuminate keys that players can follow along with to play songs from MIDI files. You can even adjust the speed to learn songs at your own pace.

Why we love it:

We love the Pi, we love music and we love everything about this project! It’s such a fun idea that’s very well executed. If you’ve got a spare Pico lying around and an RGB LED strip, you too can embark on the fun journey of learning a new instrument.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Piano Helper Lights

Raspberry Pi Trainspotting Project

You can’t be everywhere at once, but you can put a Raspberry Pi wherever you want and get pretty close. Jo M uses this Pi project to document passing trains. It uses a camera module fixed on passing train cars and chains together images it captures to create a full sized picture of the train as it passes. The Pi also documents detailing the speed at which it was traveling as well as the direction.

Why we love it:

This is an incredibly unique idea that’s very well executed. Not only does Jo M get to enjoy the train images captured by the Pi, but we can, too, by visiting the website that documents them. We’ve never seen a project quite like this and have nothing but respect for the final design.

Read: Raspberry Pi Trainspotting Project

Raspberry Pi Decktility Handheld

Because of its small form factor, the Raspberry Pi is a popular goto SBC for custom handhelds. Ken Van Hoeylandt is using one in his custom handheld he called Decktility. It’s got a big display and keypad for input and fits neatly in your hand for portability.

Why we love it:

This project reminds us of the time when PDAs were all the rage. For the maker with a taste for nostalgia, this is a fun way to take your Pi with you for on the go maker needs. It’s a very well designed unit and the functionality just adds to the appeal.

Read: Raspberry Pi Decktility Handheld

Raspberry Pi Musical Robot

If you see this musical robot project passing by on the street, you’re one of the lucky ones. This stroller is packed full of instruments that play MIDI songs using a Raspberry Pi. It’s a concert on wheels that you really have to experience for yourself. We featured the project on an episode of The Pi Cast, our Raspberry Pi-themed podcast and had an absolute blast with the maker Jeff.

Why we love it:

I don’t think we should have to explain ourselves here with this one. We’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s very well executed, took a lot of work to pull off, and it just makes us want to dance!

Read: Raspberry Pi Musical Robot

Raspberry Pi Mame Boy Advance SP Kit

There’s something universally appealing to retro gaming fans about the form factor of Game Boy handhelds. This PCB designed by Zarcadeuk uses our favorite SBC and lets you play MAME (arcade emulation) ROMs housed inside of a Game Boy Advance SP shell. It looks fantastic and lends to a seriously unique end product that no one else on your street has, for sure.

Why we love it:

Creating a custom PCB takes a lot of work and we respect any maker that takes the time to develop their own board from scratch. This is a really cool kit with a fun end product and we absolutely adore the fact that it uses a Raspberry Pi.

Read: Raspberry Pi Mame Boy Advance SP Kit

Raspberry Pi Brings Ghostly Betta Fish to Life

Now you see this project, now you don’t! This ghostly betta fish project uses a special effect to make a fish appear and disappear seemingly inside a fish bowl. It is, of course, powered by our favorite SBC and is one of the coolest—and spookiest—projects we’ve ever come across!

Why we love it:

This fishy project is really clever but also looks fantastic. We’d love to have one sitting on our shelf at home. We’ve got to extend kudos not only to its design but to the maker for taking the time to pull it off with such careful attention to detail.

Read: Raspberry Pi Brings Ghostly Betta Fish to Life

Raspberry Pi Omnibot with AI and Machine Learning

Love 80s robots? You’re not alone! Matt from Viam upgraded this Omnibot 2000 with a Raspberry Pi so it could work in the modern era. Using our favorite SBC, it now has integrated AI and machine learning functions that make it a must have for classic robot fans.

Why we love it:

It’s always sad to see old hardware degrade but if you can restore it with a Raspberry Pi, we say go for it! This is a fun way to breathe life into an old device while still retaining as much of the original hardware as possible.

Read: Raspberry Pi Omnibot with AI and Machine Learning

Raspberry Pi Camera Takes Photos Using AI

A camera without a lens just doesn’t seem possible—yet here we are! This camera, dubbed Paragraphica by its maker Karmann, uses a Pi integrated with AI to approximate a picture for you based on factors like location, date, and time. Will you get an accurate image of your location? Probably not. Will it look approximately like where you’re located? Maybe! That’s half the fun.

Why we love it:

This project is beyond clever and we’ve never seen anything quite like it. It’s a fun idea and the final product deserves a little extra praise, which lands it at the top spot on our list. You can even test the program out yourself using a web browser.

Read: Raspberry Pi Camera Takes Photos Using AI

Tom's Hardware Projects

It’s pretty much impossible to dive head first into the Raspberry Pi community without coming out inspired to make projects of your own. Here’s what the staff of Tom’s Hardware has been up to lately and how you can recreate these Raspberry Pi projects yourself.

How to Use a Banana as Touch Input for Raspberry Pi Pico

This project is exactly what it sounds like. Les Pounder has wired a banana to a breadboard and while we admit that sounds delicious it’s actually for science not culinary purposes. A Raspberry Pi Pico microcontroller is also thrown into the mix and can read the banana for touch input. Want to see how it’s done? Check out this guide to get started.

Read: Banana Touch Input for Raspberry Pi Pico

It’s hard to believe that May is already here but it’s not hard to believe that we have tons of cool Raspberry Pi projects to share! As always, makers have been busy and they have been seriously creative. This list showcases some of the best Pi projects we’ve had the honor of featuring over the last month and we’re beyond excited to share them with you again.

These makers pull out all the stops to bring their visions to reality. They use some of the best Raspberry Pi accessories and HATs around to complete their projects—leaving us in awe at the end results. Whether you’re looking for inspiration or just want to ogle at what brilliant minds get up to for fun, you’re guaranteed to find something exciting in this list.

Pico W Brings Retro Nintendo Controllers to Switch

Have you ever wanted to use an authentic Nintendo 64 controller on the Switch? Now you can! This project uses a Pico to work as an adapter that enables the old controllers to interface with the Nintendo switch. Everything is open source so you can try it out for yourself at home but you will need a little hardware and soldering experience to bring it together.

Why we love it:

We love any project that revitalizes retro hardware and this is a great one! It not only extends the life of old school controllers but adds a new dynamic to gaming on the Nintendo Switch. It’s hard to beat the feel of classic controllers and with this setup, you won’t have to.

Read: Pico W Brings Retro Nintendo Controllers to Switch

Raspberry Pi Portable Commodore 64 Cyberdeck

Do you love the Commodore 64? Then you’re going to love this awesome Commodore 64 Raspberry Pi Cyberdeck. It emulates the old school computer with some dazzling end results. It’s powered by a Raspberry Pi 3A+ and outputs to an 8-inch LCD panel. It also has a built-in battery pack for juice on the go.

Why we love it:

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again—we love old school hardware. While this is a modern creation, it hearkens back to the nostalgic past of computing, emulating the look and feel we used to be all too familiar with. Crookedmouth1971 did an excellent job in designing this project and deserves a little extra recognition for their work.

Read: Raspberry Pi Portable Commodore 64 Cyberdeck

Raspberry Pi Pico Retro Controller Converter

The Pico has proven to be an innexpensive solution for many makers looking to create their own adapters. In this project, a Pico drives a special adapter that allows users to interface with multiple retro gaming controllers. It mounts to a custom PCB and is compatible with a wide variety of controllers from Atari systems to NeoGeo joysticks.

Why we love it:

This project, while extremely niche, is also extremely useful! We’ll always get excited about retro hardware and love to see anything from the Pi family help out when it can. The design is very well put together from the custom PCB to the finishing shell that protects it from the outside. Overall, this project deserved a little extra recognition for what it provides.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Retro Controller Converter

Raspberry Pi Retro TV Box

What’s on TV? Whatever you want with this project! Inside this beautiful retro style TV box is none other than our favorite SBC, the Raspberry Pi. The housing is 3D printed with wood filament complete with stylish box joints to hold it together. The front two knobs open a drawer with a wireless keyboard/mouse combo for input. It can do anything from host retro games to play your favorite movies.

Why we love it:

A well designed project is always worth the recognition. We’ve seen Pi-powered TVs before but never one that looks quite like this. We admire the simple functionality and how well that pairs with professional design elements. This is simply a beautiful project and we love looking at it!

Read: Raspberry Pi Retro TV Box

Raspberry Pi Pico GameBoy Cable Sniffer

There’s seemingly no limit to what makers can do with a Pi. In this project, a Pico is used as a cable sniffer to emulate Game Boy functions. It interfaces with original hardware and is capable of sending print commands to a Game Boy printer and even simulating a trade partner in Pokemon.

Why we love it:

This isn’t just an emulation project, you have to have the original hardware to take advantage of this cool project. There are plenty more features you could add to a rig like this but the ones demonstrated so far have us totally blown away.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico GameBoy Cable Sniffer

Raspberry Pi Pico Web Server

When you think of a Pi-powered web server, you’re probably not thinking of a microcontroller. However, the brilliant young minds at GurgleApps decided the Pico was the perfect candidate to operate their web server and made it a reality!

Why we love it:

We had the honor of featuring this project on an episode of our Raspberry Pi-themed podcast, The Pi Cast, and they even let us interact with it from across the world. This Pico W web server is super impressive and super useful for a variety of projects and use cases.

Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Web Server

Raspberry Pi Sci-Fi-Themed Chinese Take-Out Signs

Do you want a side with that? Let one of these Pi’s help! This project uses six Raspberry Pis to operate some chinese takeout menus. They’re housed inside a beautiful sci-fi themed case and are prominently on display at the bottom of the sign.

Why we love it:

It’s always exciting to spot a Raspberry Pi in the wild. We’ve got an appetite for Pi and couldn’t help ourselves from showcasing this unique example of how they can be implemented in a business setting. Plus the sci-fi theming is just super neat and adds a unique touch.

Read: Raspberry Pi Sci-Fi-Themed Chinese Take-Out Signs

Blooming Flowers Raspberry Pi Dress

With the touch of a button, this handmade dress goes into full bloom! This maker sewed a series of beautiful fabric flowers that use a Raspberry Pi to bloom on command. It’s a clever unification of handcrafted sewing and microelectronics.

Why we love it:

We knew the Raspberry Pi was cool but didn’t realize it was in style this season. We’re not usually keeping up with the latest ready to wear here at Tom’s Hardware but this is some haute couture we can get seriously excited about.

Read: Blooming Flowers Raspberry Pi Dress

Raspberry Pi 4 Upgraded to 16GB of RAM

If you want to upgrade the RAM on your Raspberry Pi, MadEDoctor has got you covered. If you’re not afraid of exchanging surface mounted components, this project is for you. With a little bit of patience, he’s managed to upgrade a Pi 4 to use 16 GB of RAM!

Why we love it:

Watching the Raspberry Pi community push the boundaries of what these boards can do is half the fun. Did we need a 16 GB Pi 4? Maybe. Do we want one now knowing that it's possible? You betcha!

Read: Raspberry Pi 4 Upgraded to 16GB of RAM

Raspberry Pi-Powered Furby uses ChatGPT

ChatGPT is taking the world by storm. And through ChatGPT, this Raspberry Pi-powered Furby can take over the world, as well! As unsettling as a naked Furby is, the fear is only heightened by the implementation of AI into its programming.

Why we love it:

We promise to be nice to the robot overlords, and that includes AI-powered Furbies. We’re not sure what maker Jessica Card was thinking when putting together this creation but we don’t care. It’s awesome.

Read: Raspberry Pi-Powered Furby uses ChatGPT

Tom's Hardware Projects

The Raspberry Pi community never ceases to excite and amaze us. It’s hard not to see all of these projects and not create a few ourselves. Here’s what we’ve been up to at Tom’s Hardware over the last month. We share not only our own projects but include detailed steps you need to recreate them at home.

How To Manage MicroPython Modules With Mip on Raspberry Pi Pico

Image credit: Tom’s Hardware

In this guide, Les shows us how to manage MicroPython modules on the Raspberry Pi Pico. The tool that drives this project is called Mip. We’ll show you how to get started with Mip and go over everything you need to use it to the fullest.

Read: How To Manage MicroPython Modules With Mip on Raspberry Pi Pico