The Raspberry Pi computer board has taken the world by storm. Tinkerers, inventers and DIY enthusiasts have found a multitude of uses for the Raspberry Pi and now during this global lockdown, even newbies are revelling in the endless possibilities.

The Raspberry Pi is a ‘credit card size’ computer. It can function like a normal PC with internet browsing, creating documents, playing games and coding. Its name comes from the coding language ‘Python’ hence ‘Pi’ and since computer conglomerates have been successful by naming their products after fruit, the word ‘Raspberry’ was available. Since its launch in 2012, over 30 million boards have been sold worldwide. Its x-factor being its size, affordability and functional capability have made it suitable for both home and business use. The latest version of the board was launched in 2019, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B.

Raspberry Pi is suitable to be used as a media center, as a file server, enabling home automation, a device for streaming content, a router, robotics applications and functions that require the use of a stand alone computer where cost and size are a challenge.

Brian Andrew MD of RS Components South Africa said that it is undeniable just how popular Raspberry Pi’s have become over the years. “These single-board computers have come a long way and here in South Africa their popularity continues to gain traction. It’s a great way for novices and DIY enthusiasts to get into coding and IOT – it’s both affordable and highly functional with tons of online resources to get you started,” he said.

Raspberry Pi projects to try out at home:

Make music with your Raspberry Pi

Sonic Pi turns your Raspberry Pi into a music-coding machine, letting you use basic programming skills to make music. This can be anything from sound effects and short samples to full-length songs.

Photo Booth

Make your own Photo Booth with a Raspberry Pi board, camera module and 7 inch Touchscreen. Turn the Pi you’ve had sitting around for ages into a photo booth designed specifically to capture those awesome moments, and then share them with your friends.

Gaming

One of the most popular Pi projects is building a portable arcade gaming console. There are several projects involving gaming, but this one is easy and versatile. Alternatively try building a retro gaming console with this development kit from Canakit.

Music Streaming Device

Using a Raspberry Pi to stream Spotify, Pandora, Google Music, internet radio channels and podcasts is another popular category of DIY projects that people like to start with. Depending on how much effort you want to put into your device you can find various music streaming projects online like a vintage radio or a juke box.

Create a Smart TV

Turn an old television into a Smart TV by using the Raspberry Pi with various software options like Kodi, Plex, Android TV and Chromecast. You’ll be able to stream your favourite shows from Netflix and other services using the humble Pi.

Home Automation

Want to make your home smarter? Control and monitor lighting, temperature, garage doors and CCTV cameras from a smartphone, tablet or PC from anywhere in the world. These projects are more advanced, however if you have the time and energy anyone can give it a try.

Raspberry Pi Boards and accessories are now available online from RS Components.