{"id":205658,"date":"2017-04-11T13:55:27","date_gmt":"2017-04-11T11:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=205658"},"modified":"2017-04-11T13:56:35","modified_gmt":"2017-04-11T11:56:35","slug":"five-cool-gadgets-you-can-build-using-a-raspberry-pi","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/hardware\/205658-five-cool-gadgets-you-can-build-using-a-raspberry-pi.html","title":{"rendered":"Five cool gadgets you can build using a Raspberry Pi"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The functionality and low price of the Raspberry Pi make it a perfect choice for tech hobbyists and DIY enthusiasts.<\/p>\n<p>The Raspberry Pi 3 Model B packs a lot of potential due to its built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and it is relatively cheap to begin a project using the board.<\/p>\n<p>One of the Pi&#8217;s defining features is its GPIO pins, which allow users to connect and control electronics using a bit of soldering and some basic code.<\/p>\n<p>Both experienced hackers and beginners can easily get started with the Pi thanks to a variety of projects and tutorials available online.<\/p>\n<p>Five awesome projects based on the Pi are detailed below.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Home assistant<\/h3>\n<p>Create an alternative to Google Home and Amazon Alexa\u00a0using a Pi, and\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/gadgets\/204702-i-built-a-voice-controlled-amazon-echo-using-a-raspberry-pi.html\" target=\"_blank\">build your own home assistant<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>The set-up is simple if you use open source software and tutorials, although you will need a bit more expertise to expand your ecosystem with other devices.<\/p>\n<p>There are a few software options for your DIY home assistant, including Amazon&#8217;s Alexa and Jarvis.<\/p>\n<p>Jarvis is an open-source voice-controlled virtual assistant which can be modified, although it does require a complex set-up.<\/p>\n<p>Amazon has made its Alexa Voice Services available for developers to use, and while this option is more limited, it is easier to set up.<\/p>\n<p><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_2072.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-204710\" src=\"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_2072-640x427.jpg\" alt=\"alexa pi 3\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_2072-640x427.jpg 640w, https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_2072-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_2072-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/03\/IMG_2072.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Robots<\/h3>\n<p>The Pi can be a great tool for learning about robotics and controlling hardware with code.<\/p>\n<p>From single robot arms to fully-functional vehicles, there are many tutorials on the subject available online.<\/p>\n<p>The free <a href=\"https:\/\/www.raspberrypi.org\/magpi\/\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>MagPi magazine<\/strong><\/a> regularly includes tutorials about building your own robot and interfacing with hardware using Python.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/z9gSZwVMybc\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Pi Drone<\/h3>\n<p>If you&#8217;re feeling adventurous, you can build a remote-controlled drone using a Raspberry Pi.<\/p>\n<p>While the Pi Zero may be better suited to a DIY drone build, it is still possible with bigger boards like the Pi 3 Model B.<\/p>\n<p>Hackers can easily get their Pi in the sky using solutions like Erle Robotics&#8217; <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/erlerobotics.com\/blog\/pxfmini\/\" target=\"_blank\">PXFMini<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>daughter-board\u00a0and code.<\/p>\n<p>The Pi also allows for a camera to be connected, meaning you can set your drone to broadcast video to a controlling device.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LWwkB6hGD4M\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Smart Mirror<\/h3>\n<p>It does require more resources to set up than most small projects, but many Raspberry Pi owners have used their device to create smart mirrors.<\/p>\n<p>A smart mirror allows you to access a number of functions projected onto a standard mirrored surface and can be a great way to inject a smart device into your daily life.<\/p>\n<p>Smart Mirror projects and guides are available on platforms like <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/Shinao\/SmartMirror\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>GitHub<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fkVBAcvbrjU\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Home theatre PC<\/h3>\n<p>A simple but useful project for beginners is turning a\u00a0<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/hardware\/196326-i-built-a-home-theatre-pc-using-a-raspberry-pi.html\" target=\"_blank\">Raspberry Pi into a home theatre PC<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>This allows you to create an always-on, low-power entertainment solution with Internet connectivity and endless customisation options.<\/p>\n<p>You can use your Pi home theatre to watch YouTube videos, Twitch streams, read the news, and much more.<\/p>\n<p>This is an easy and rewarding project which requires the installation and set-up of Kodi.<\/p>\n<p><a  data-lightbox=\"post-image\" href=\"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Kodi-Main-2.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-196328\" src=\"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Kodi-Main-2.jpg\" alt=\"Kodi Main 2\" width=\"640\" height=\"430\" srcset=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Kodi-Main-2.jpg 640w, https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Kodi-Main-2-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/Kodi-Main-2-595x400.jpg 595w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"my-4\">Now read:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/gadgets\/204702-i-built-a-voice-controlled-amazon-echo-using-a-raspberry-pi.html\" rel=\"bookmark\">I built a voice-controlled Amazon Echo using a Raspberry Pi<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The functionality and low price of the Raspberry Pi make it a perfect choice for tech hobbyists and DIY enthusiasts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":341028,"featured_media":205662,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29,15],"tags":[42370,35,42366,42368,42364],"class_list":["post-205658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gadgets","category-hardware","tag-awesome","tag-headline","tag-pi","tag-projects","tag-raspberry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205658"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/341028"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=205658"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205658\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":205838,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205658\/revisions\/205838"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205662"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205658"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205658"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205658"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}