Raspberry Pi Stargate Opens Wormhole in Your Own Home

Kristian Tysee Stargate
(Image credit: Kristian Tysee)

Calling all Stargate fans! This project, created by Kristian Tysee, uses a Raspberry Pi to bring a little piece of your favorite SciFi series home. It's a complete (albeit miniature), nearly functional Stargate. If you're not familiar with the series, these are wormholes across space that enable travel across great distances, but they can only stay open for a limited amount of time. To "dial in" a destination address the "ring" will rotate and lock a sequence of symbols into place.

The Stargate responds to actual addresses used in the show. It can spin, the chevrons move and lights turn on when the wormhole is established. An infinity mirror effect is used to simulate the open portal.

The address is dialed in using the DHD (Dial Home Device) controller. When a proper address is used, sound effects from the show begin to play while 122 LEDs illuminate the infinity mirror.

While the portal is "open", you will hear random soundbites from the TV series. The portal will only be open for 38 minutes, just like in the show. At the end of the 38 minutes, a soundbite will be played that mentions the time limit in some way, signaling the portal is about to close.

The Stargate is about 15" (39cm) tall and totally operated by a Raspberry Pi using three motor hats. When it boots, a custom Python script is used to manage the DHD input and control the Stargate.

Visit TheStargateProject website to read more about it—there you'll find more details and an in-depth look at the creation process behind this entertaining, interstellar device.

Ash Hill
Freelance News and Features Writer

Ash Hill is a Freelance News and Features Writer at Tom's Hardware US. She manages the Pi projects of the month and much of our daily Raspberry Pi reporting.