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
