Make a Smart Home in Raspberry Pi Official Magazine issue 167

The dream of smart, connected devices controlling your home automatically, is especialy appealing on a lazy day when we’re trying to get work done in a heatwave. Maybe this will be the year we finally integrate temperature sensors with fans and a drinks dispenser to keep us cool, or maybe not, but we do know that when we do build a smart home, it’ll have Raspberry Pi at its heart.

There’s no reason you should be stuck with the computer that came wth your device, even if that device is a Royal Enfield motorcycle. Here’s a better trip computer built with a Raspberry Pi Zero 2 WH.

Standing guard over a smoker, turning a handle when the fire gets too hot, and turning it back again when the fire gets too cold, is exactly the sort of thing that computers are supposed to automate. And so it has come to pass, with this very tasty project that uses Java on Raspberry Pi to keep food lasting longer.

Why play racing games on a joystick (or worse, the WASD keys of your keyboard) when you can 3D print a model of the steering wheel from a Formula 1 car and use it as the case for a Rasperry Pi gaming system?

If you have a CNC machine in a dusty corner of your garage – or maybe if there’s one at your local maker space that no-one’s been able to get working – take a look at our tutorial on using Linux, on Raspberry Pi, to control a CNC router.

You thought jigsaws were made by elves in Santa’s workshop… you were half right. The other half are made automatically by code generated in Python, producing coordinates in FreeCAD that you can turn into 3D printed puzzle pieces. We’ll show you how!

We love to mash old and new crafts together: this issue we’ve decorated a box with découpage (gluing small pieces of paper to create a layered, almost 3D effect) and added a sensor that trigggers when the box opens. It’s devilishly simple brilliantly effective, if we do say so.

Sometimes you’re not in convenient reach of a Wi-Fi network. When such a disaster strikes – maybe you’re at the allotment, or otherwise outside enjoying the sunshine – you need radio communication. Phil King rounds up the best boards to keep you connected when you’re out and about.

If you’ve been outside and concluded that the environment is worth looking after, we’re assembled a few of our favourite environmental projects. From space to the bottom of your garden, there’s something for every locale and every budget.

And there’s more! Each issue of Raspberry Pi magazine is packed wth projects to make and things to do. Buy the latest issue here or subscribe to never miss an issue.