Fun Projects for the Raspberry Pi Model A+ – Part 1
The latest release of the Raspberry Pi, the RBPi Model A+ is not only smaller, it is cheaper as well. That makes it an ideal device for taking a plunge into coding and for trying out new projects. Here are some fun projects that you may find interesting.
A Garden with Digits
With a Pibrella add-on board, your RBPi can run several small motors to create a digital garden. Define the garden to your exact specifications with ornate flowers that you could make out of card or cloth. Add artificial bees and make then spin when you press a button. You could also arrange a relaxing setup of plants and have some soothing music going on at the same time. For details, look here.
Juggle With Illuminated Pins
This is for those who like to juggle things. While juggling, let your RBPi help you out with the routing using some extra LED lights. You will need a Pibrella board and some custom Python code to make the project work independently. Although this may be a niche case, the project is worth undertaking. Lauren Egts has a blog post.
Console for Retro Games
Arcade cabinets of yesteryears still draw a lot of interest. Both young and old enjoy retro games and your RBPi can work as the basis for such a console. With RetroPie, you can simply load emulator software. All you need is an SD card and some USB peripherals. This simple but fun project can be completed within one hour. Life hacker has a guide.
Control Your Pottery Kiln via Wi-Fi
Those using kilns for firing up potteries will find this project useful. RBPi provides remote capabilities for automatic temperature control using a thermocouple and a stepper motor. Temperature stability is maintained with a system of closed-loop feedback. Visit the RBPi blog for code and photos.
Watch Birds with Infrared
Although this is a project for birdwatchers, others can adapt it for their own requirements. An RBPi makes it possible to watch what birds are doing inside the bird box. This way, you are in complete control of watching birds on the outside as well as on the inside of the bird box. The RBPi even makes it possible to set up a live internet stream if your bird box is in a remote location. You will need the RBPi NoIR camera board and some infrared LEDs. The RBPi site has more details.
RBPi Weather Station
You do not need to rely on forecasts from the radio or television any more. Make your own weather station with the RBPi. This project is very cheap and requires very little energy. Of course, some extra hardware is necessary, but nothing too complicated. For details on the setup, visit DragonTail.
Transmit Morse code
Although this is ancient technology, people dabbling in Amateur Radio still find Morse code very useful. Building an RBPi powered Morse code station will be a very exciting project. With this, you can have device for encoding and decoding Morse code. If you add a vintage Morse key, the authenticity of the project will increase dramatically. For complete details, head over to the RBPi website.
