We’re quite taken with Raspberry Pi 500+. But when you don’t need all that processing power, and just want a board that will make a plastic skeleton jump around in a terrifying manner, you’ll find Raspberry Pi Pico more than up to the job.

There’s more terror in the magazine (which is only right as the nights are drawing in and we’re practicing our best spooky laughs for Halloween) in the form of the Bog Body. This animatronic theatre prop is bringing Raspberry Pi-powered terror to the stage, starring in a one-woman, one-robot show in London and beyond.

Stepping away from the macabre for a moment, we were delighted to learn about the OpenFlexure project. This microscopy platform uses 3D printing and Raspberry Pi to provide affordable, high-quality microscopes to scientists around the world. And as it’s open source hardware, you can give it a go yourself!

Have you ever started experimenting with building Internet of Things devices and eventually created your own development platform? Neither have we, which is partly why we like Sanne Santens’ excellent Edgeberry project.

We’re always partial to a project that bridges the gap between traditional crafts and digital making, and here’s a great example: using Raspberry Pi to control LED lights in a doll’s house. More accurately, it’s using a Pimoroni Plasma 2350 as the controller, so as it uses a Raspberry Pi 2350 chip we reckon we can just about sort of claim it.

There’s all this, plus a load more, in Raspberry Pi Official Magazine issue 158. Grab it now from all good newsagents, order a copy from our online shop, or subscribe today. Happy making!