The Raspberry Pi community has been busier than ever since the release of the Raspberry Pi Pico. This ultra small microcontroller has taken makers by the soldering iron and they are whipping up some feisty new creations.
The Pico has proven to be a flexible device that works great alongside the existing Raspberry Pi SBCs. Throw in some of the best Raspberry Pi accessories and a useful HAT or two and you've got a recipe for fun, if not success.
Today we're highlighting the most exciting Raspberry Pi projects we've had the honor of featuring over the past month and we want to share them again so they get the attention they deserve. These are some of the coolest projects around but there are tons more, be sure to check back throughout the week as we post more creations from the community.
Raspberry Pi Pico-Powered Voltmeter
This project uses a Raspberry Pi Pico module to operate a homemade voltmeter. It uses the UART serial port and an analog-to-digital pin to help monitor the voltage. The output is displayed through a custom GUI written in Python.
Why we love it:
Why buy a tool when you have the means of creating it yourself? We love the spirit behind this project and definitely appreciate how useful the end result is. It just goes to show how thrifty a Pico can be in a pinch—if you know what you're doing.
Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Voltmeter
Lisperati1000: A Raspberry Pi Workstation
Are you a fan of Lisp? So is this maker who decided to design a Raspberry Pi-based, Lisp-themed workstation. It rocks a Raspberry Pi Zero inside, has a widescreen display and uses cherry brown mechanical switches inside its built-in keyboard.
Why we love it:
This project looks sleek! It's a clean design and the extra love for Lisp is just icing on the cake. The all-in-one form factor makes for a useful end product that we can't help but get excited about.
Read: Lisperati1000
Raspberry Pi Build Adds Swivel Screen
This all-in-one Pi workstation has a twist—a swivel hinge built into the display scavanaged from an old ThinkPad. The case is 3D printed and includes an onboard battery and keyboard. It's a powerful on-the-go Pi rig using a Raspberry Pi 4 model.
Why we love it:
It's hard to get around a project with a screen that can swivel different directions. We also really appreciate a project that can recycle hardware and put it to new use. This is a truly unique creation with a very useful end product.
Read: Raspberry Pi Swivel Handheld
Kiwikit Pico Dev Board PCB
The Pico released with a few dev boards from third-party developers but this maker decided to create their own. The Kiwikit os designed with plenty of breakouts and an OLED display for prototyping projects for the Raspberry Pi Pico.
Why we love it:
Making your own PCB is one thing we always appreciate. There's nothing more custom in a Pi project than a homemade circuit board and this one is worth showcasing! It's great to see a board that can help new developers learn their way around the Raspberry Pi Pico.
Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Kiwikit Dev Board
Raspberry Pi Bitcoin Video Jukebox
If you want to play a song on this Raspberry Pi jukebox, you're going to need some cryptocurrency—specifically Bitcoin. It displays a QR code that can be used to transfer Bitcoin to the maker's crypto wallet to initiate the song-selection process. It doesn’t just play music, however, it has a screen to play music videos.
Why we love it:
This is a really clever integration of Bitcoin and the Raspberry Pi. It's a fun, modern upgrade to the classic jukebox providing both music video output and cryptocurrency support. What's not to love?
Read: Raspberry Pi Bitcoin Video Jukebox
Raspberry Pi Game Making SDK
The team at Surrogate is well-known in the Pi community for their extremely interactive online Raspberry Pi-based games. Now users can make their own, hosted through Surrogate using the new SurroRTG SDK.
Why we love it:
Do we really have to explain ourselves here? This new SDK is an awesome way to support development in the Pi community while bringing us together through custom online experiences. Surrogate games are fun to play and now you can be a part of the development process!
Read: SurroRTG SDK
Raspberry Pi Pico Game Boy Cartridge
Retro gaming is possible on the Pico but not in the way you might imagine. This maker was able to use a Pico in place of a Game Boy cartridge and successfully ran Tetris on an actual Game Boy Color. It even draws power from the Game Boy directly.
Why we love it:
We love retro gaming but emulating on original hardware with the help of a Pico is just too cool! It took a lot of engineering to pull off this project and the hard work definitely shows.
Read: Raspberry Pi Pico Game Boy Cartridge
Raspberry Pi Zero Spotify iPod
Inside this 4th generation iPod is a Raspberry Pi that can stream music via Spotify. The project, dubbed sPot, even uses original hardware from the iPod, including the scroll wheel to navigate the custom UI.
Why we love it:
This is the Raspberry Pi iPod we didn't know we needed. It has Bluetooth support and more features than you can shake an mp3 at. The amount of work to develop a seamless experience like this is notably impressive and definitely worth the effort.
Read: Raspberry Pi Zero Spotify iPod
Custom Pico Pop'n Music Controller
This maker crammed a Pico inside of a custom Pop'n Music controller that actually works when plugged into an original Sega Dreamcast. It's complete with 100mm LED arcade buttons and custom graphics under an acrylic layer.
Why we love it:
We love to jam and we love the Pico! It's awesome to see this little microcontroller bridge the gap between old hardware and new. This is a wonderfully creative project that puts a little pop back into gaming on the Dreamcast.
Read: Pop'n Music Pico Controller
Raspberry Pi Pico EuroPi Module
EuroRack Synthesizers already provide customization options but this maker's new open source PCB takes things a step further. Users can program this Pico-based synth module, known as the EuroPi, for a completely unique sound experience.
Why we love it:
The Pico is a really flexible module and that versatility shines here. Paired with the right equipment, this PCB module helps make EuroRack synth building a little more accessible. We love the ingenuity behind the design as well as the reach this project has in the synth community.
Read: Raspberry Pi Pico EuroPi Module
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