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 * DIY


20 AWESOME RASPBERRY PI PROJECTS ANYONE CAN DO

By Christian Cawley
Updated 2 days ago


Which Raspberry Pi project should you start with? Here's our roundup of the best
Raspberry Pi uses and projects around!


Readers like you help support MUO. When you make a purchase using links on our
site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read More.

Wondering what to do with that Raspberry Pi you bought? Can this little device
really act as a desktop PC? As a server? As a radio station? Yes, it can!



To get you started, we've curated this list of things to do with a Raspberry Pi,
each with its own detailed tutorial on MakeUseOf.

We'll assume you're using a Raspberry Pi 4, but most of these projects will work
on older models and even on Raspberry Pi Zero and Zero 2W boards.




1. REPLACE YOUR DESKTOP PC WITH A RASPBERRY PI



The simplest way to use a Raspberry Pi is as a desktop computer. This is
particularly suited to later models of the Raspberry Pi, with increased CPU
speeds and RAM. The Raspberry Pi 400 is built into a keyboard, ideal for
productivity.

Wireless networking and Bluetooth are ideal for input devices and connectivity.
Meanwhile, operating systems like Raspberry Pi OS and Ubuntu are ideal, and come
with office tools built in.





2. PRINT WITH YOUR RASPBERRY PI



Older printers with no Wi-Fi (or insecure Wi-Fi standards) can be brought online
thanks to a Raspberry Pi.

Team up the Samba file sharing software, and CUPS print software, and you can
make that printer wireless. The Common Unix Printing System provides drivers for
your printer and an administration console.

Any computer on your network can then access the printer, and you can even add
AirPrint support to Raspberry Pi, for iPhone and Android devices.





3. CUT THE CORD WITH KODI: A RASPBERRY PI MEDIA CENTER



One of the most popular uses for the Raspberry Pi is as a Kodi media center.
Several Kodi builds have been released, with OSMC and LibreELEC still going
strong.

If you prefer to keep your computer available for other projects, Kodi can be
installed on Raspberry Pi OS and added to retro gaming systems. Installing Kodi
comes with some caveats. We recommend you only install safe and legal add-ons
from the official Kodi repositories.





4. BUILD A RASPBERRY PI RETRO GAMING MACHINE



Another popular use for a Raspberry Pi is as a retro gaming machine. Compact and
versatile, the device is as suitable for a full size arcade cabinet, as it is as
part of a Game Boy-esque handheld.

Various retro gaming operating systems are available, all with controller
support. Many classic gaming platforms can be emulated, from 1970s arcade
machines and Atari consoles to the Nintendo Wii.





5. BUILD A MINECRAFT GAME SERVER



Your Pi can be used as a Minecraft game server, letting you host online games.
These can be played with people on your home network, in the same building, or
on the internet.

Beyond Minecraft, other multiplayer network games can be set up on the Raspberry
Pi. Open source ports of Quake, Civilization, Doom, and Open TTD can be
installed as game servers on your Raspberry Pi.





6. BUILD A STOP-MOTION CAMERA



Although stop-motion can be made with a smartphone, a Raspberry Pi and dedicated
camera module can also be employed.

Using the Python programming language, a suitable mount, and a well-lit area,
you’ll also need to rig a button to the Pi’s GPIO.

You’ll need an overhead mount for Terry Gilliam-esque paper craft animation, or
a standard tripod for clay- or toy-based projects.

Stop-motion photography is a time-consuming process, with practice required for
good results.





7. MAKE A TIME-LAPSE VIDEO

ME



Combining the Raspberry Pi camera module with a different Python script captures
time-lapse movies. This is done by taking single frames with a timed delay.

But what should you film? Flowers in the garden, fruit in a bowl, people passing
by... perhaps the clouds in the sky, or the changing weather? You're only
limited by your own imagination, and how far you're willing to travel to get a
good video.





8. BROADCAST A PIRATE FM RADIO STATION



Incredibly, the Pi can broadcast over a short distance on the FM band, ideal if
you need to communicate with a community that has no internet access.

Broadcasting over FM is illegal without a license.

While largely unsuitable for urban use, it might prove useful in remote
locations.

A portable battery and soldering skills are required. Broadcast audio should be
preloaded to the microSD card, and played in a loop.





9. BUILD A RASPBERRY PI WEB SERVER



Any Raspberry Pi can host a homepage or blog, with either static web pages or
database-driven content.

You’ll need Apache, and for more advanced websites, a full LAMP
(Linux/Apache/MySQL/PHP) stack. It's useful if you also set up FTP.

Once these steps are completed, save HTML files into the /www/ directory, and
your web server is ready. Or you might install some specific web software like
WordPress.

Get the website online with a static IP address from your internet provider. A
cheaper option is No-IP.com.





10. HOST A LIBRARY OF AUDIOBOOKS



Self-hosted audiobook server Audiobookshelf can be set up on your Raspberry Pi
for access anywhere. It also supports podcasts.

Once installed (as a Docker container), the software can be configured to pull
audiobooks from wherever you own them. Apple, Audible, Google, and other
providers are supported.

With the library compiled, it can be accessed via your Raspberry Pi or from any
browser-equipped device.





11. INSPIRING DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME



While off-the-shelf digital photo frames are attractive, they can be limited in
storage space. What if they could do more than just display your favorite family
photos?

With this Raspberry Pi project, you can create a digital photo frame that
delivers inspiring messages alongside photos of beautiful scenes. While we used
a Raspberry Pi touchscreen display for this project, any compatible LCD should
be suitable.





12. PHOTOGRAPH THE NIGHT SKY



Alongside the standard Raspberry Pi Camera Module, a No-IR module is also
available. This is particularly suitable for nighttime photography.

For instance, you might use time-lapse photography to track the path of the
stars and the moon overnight. Or employ a slow shutter speed to get a trace
effect. Better still, you can leave it running while you sleep!





13. BUILD A NETWORK MONITORING TOOL



Need to monitor the devices on your network? Concerned about a lack of
connectivity, or need notification when your website is offline?

Several network monitoring tools are available, but none is as easy to install
and configure as NEMS (Nagios Enterprise Monitoring Server). Once installed on
your Raspberry Pi 2 or later, you can monitor uptime, view a visualization of
the devices on your network, and more.





14. A RASPBERRY PI PLEX SERVER



Another way to enjoy media streaming on the Raspberry Pi is to configure it as a
Plex server. Any PC, TV, or any other device running the standard Plex client
app can then view media stored on the Raspberry Pi.

It might even be another Raspberry Pi.

Browsing the server's media should be straightforward, enabling you to enjoy all
movies, TV shows and music stored on it.





15. GET CLOSER TO NATURE AND RECOGNIZE BIRDSONG



The Raspberry Pi has various garden and nature-adjacent uses. One particularly
intriguing project is to record and log birdsong, using BirdNET-Pi.

Simply hook up a microphone to your Pi, install the software, and place the kit
within range of chirping birds. The songs are recorded, the birds identified,
and various charts and graphs provided in the UI to gauge which species are in
range.

Information can be uploaded to the worldwide citizen science project BirdWorld.





16. LEARN HOW TO CODE ON A RASPBERRY PI



One of the key uses of a Raspberry Pi is to encourage coding skills with the
platform's pre-installed programming tools. Among these is Scratch.

A programming tool that is simple enough to manipulate LEDs and program basic
games, Scratch eschews the complexities of inputting lines of code. Instead, you
simply drag code blocks into place using a mouse. These are translated into code
which can be exported as a program to run.





17. STREAM STEAM GAMES TO RASPBERRY PI



With a Raspberry Pi 3 or later you can stream Steam games from your PC or Steam
Deck to a TV. This is possible thanks to the Steam Link software and Steam’s
In-Home Streaming feature.

For the best results, the Raspberry Pi or the PC (preferably both) should be
connected to your router via Ethernet. This is because Wi-Fi isn’t fast enough
for streaming games without latency.





18. BUILD A SMART MIRROR



Ever wanted to catch up with the latest news, movie trailers, pop videos, and
traffic and weather information while shaving or doing makeup? The answer is a
smart mirror, a device powered by a Raspberry Pi.

Basically, this is a two-way mirror with a special display mounted behind the
glass. Any type of mirror can be used for a smart mirror project; you should use
one that suits your purposes.





19. INSTALL GAMES ON THE RASPBERRY PI



If you're not comfortable setting up streaming or emulators, plenty of games can
be installed on the Raspberry Pi.

Some great games can be run on your Raspberry Pi without emulators. A great
example is Doom, which incredibly will run on the Raspberry Pi without
emulation.

Other examples include FreeCiv, Quake III, and even the open source SimCity
clone, Micropolis.





20. BUILD A RASPBERRY PI NAS FOR YOUR DATA



Network-attached storage is a type of data storage that is optimized for serving
data to computers on your network.

A Raspberry Pi 4 is best suited to this; you’ll also need some additional
storage to take full advantage.

With ownCloud installed on your Raspberry Pi, you have complete control over
your own data. It’s essentially a cloud storage that you set up yourself.




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Related Topics
 * DIY
 * Raspberry Pi
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About The Author
Christian Cawley • Deputy Editor (1752 Articles Published)


Deputy Editor for Security, Linux, DIY, Programming, and Tech Explained,
Christian has extensive experience in desktop and software support, and has been
published in Computer Weekly, Linux Format, Tech Radar, ComputerActive, and
other titles.

Christian also produces MakeUseOf's weekly show, the Really Useful Podcast.

His current passions are his cigar box guitar, his retro gaming site
(www.gamingretro.co.uk), and his family.


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