Christian Cawley
Christian Cawley spends a lot of time with Raspberry Pis and scours the web looking for interesting DIY electronics projects and news for ElectroMaker. He's currently trying to show his 7 year old son how to get to grips with Scratch, but so far to no avail.
Turn Your Raspberry Pi into a NODE Mini Server
If you’ve ever tried hooking up a hard disk drive to your Raspberry Pi, you’ll be familiar with the mess it can create. Both devices need a power supply; then there’s the USB cable from the drive to the Pi. Perhaps you tried using an external HDD housing; perhaps you prefer something more bespoke, like the Western Digital WDLabs PiDrive.
Is the Bathroom Free? Find Out with Occup-Pi!
Need to find out if the bathroom is free or not, without negotiating a flight of stairs, or meandering along the corridor?
Raspberry Pi and Arduino Revive Old Doctor Who K9 Prop
Ever wondered what happened to the Doctor’s robot companion, K9? The Time Lord’s best friend has made a handful of appearances in Doctor Who’s 21st century revival, but since 2010 he’s been notable by his absence on screen … (we’ll ignore the fact he was redesigned and given his own TV show.)
Measure Your Skateboard Speed and Distance with a Raspberry Pi
“...I like to skate and cruise around. While I'm cruising, it would be handy to see how much distance I've travelled and see my speed.”
Ready for the DiddyBorg v2 Robot Kit?
Available in two colours (purple for power, red for speed), the DiddyBorg v2 Robot Kit will take your Raspberry Pi on a ride it will never forget!
What Can You Do with an RGB LED Matrix Shield for Arduino?
Looking for a display option for your Arduino project? Perhaps a compact LCD or an array of LEDs will do the trick, especially if you’re building something decorative.
Can a Raspberry Pi Help Protect Coral Reefs?
We’ve seen the Raspberry employed in countless unique ways since the little computer arrived, but did you ever imagine that it could help to save marine life?
Build a Doctor Who Themed TARDIS Doorbell
Doctor Who and Raspberry Pi-based projects go hand in hand. Both are British, and both have links to Cambridge (writer Douglas Adams studied there, and was Doctor Who script editor at the time Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy hit the airwaves).
What Can You Do with an Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express?
Looking for an ultra-compact project board that is compatible with Arduino IDE and CircuitPython? Well, if you can get your hands on an Adafruit ItsyBitsy M4 Express, you might just be in luck...
PiParp: Prank Your Friends with a Parping Raspberry Pi Whoopee Cushion!
The whoopee cushion has been upgraded. No longer a rubber bladder filled with air (or, at times, a piece of foam), it has been enhanced and is capable of playing any noise you can think of, thanks to a Raspberry Pi.
DoggoBot: An Arduino Controlled Cardboard Pet
It’s tough to build a robot without spending a load of money on the body. Some builders buy kits; others use 3D printing. But what about cardboard?
Awesome Star Wars LED Backlit Movie Poster with Arduino and Neopixels
Perhaps some sort of frame is the answer for your movie (or TV show, or pop group) posters ... and if it is, why stop with a bit of wood and perspex? Why not add a backlight, just like a poster found outside a cinema?
Astonishing Google NSynth Device Built on Raspberry Pi
Looking for a totally new sound? You may have just found it. A couple of Google projects have collaborated to produce the NSynth Super, a Raspberry Pi-powered device that uses what has been coined “neural audio synthesis” to analyse the sonic characteristics of source inputs to create entirely new musical voices.
BBC micro:bit to Invade Canada!
First released in 2015, the BBC micro:bit is finally set to hit Canada, and inspire children and amateur enthusiasts just as it has in the UK and elsewhere.
Control a Glockenspiel with Sonic Pi and Lego!
Perhaps the glockenspiel isn’t the first instrument you think of when it comes to electronic music, but thanks to the wonderful Sonic Pi software, that might be about to change...
What Can You Do with an Adafruit Crickit?
Supposedly designed to help avoid a robot apocalypse, the Creative Robotics and Interactive Construction Kit from Adafruit - Crickit for short - is an add-on for their Circuit Playground Express (CPX), an easy-to-use board with support for CircuitPython, Arduino, or (coming soon) the Microsoft MakeCode programming tool.
Make Your Own Portable Pocket Sized Pi Zero-Powered Projector
Owning a pocket projector seems like a great option for ad hoc presentations (or an easy way to watch movies when you’re camping) but can it be done with a Raspberry Pi?
What's in the Android Things Starter Kit?
Released in May 2018, the Android Things Starter Kit is the ideal collection of components to get you started with your Android Things project. We’ve already looked at which boards you can use with Android Things, but if you’re just starting out with this platform it’s a good idea to grab a starter kit and build from there.