Kategorie: PC

Using E Ink displays with a Raspberry Pi

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Are you interested in using an E Ink display in your next Raspberry Pi project? Let us help you get started!

Weather and new display using a Raspberry Pi Zero and Kindle e-reader by Luke Haas

E Ink displays

E Ink displays are accessible, they don’t need a lot of power, and they can display content without any power connection whatsoever — think Amazon Kindle if you’ve only a vague knowledge of the technology.

E Ink displays work using negative and positive charges. They contain tiny microcapsules suspended in a liquid within a film layer. The microcapsules consist of negatively charged black particles and positively charged white particles. By applying the correct charge, you control whether the black or white particles come to the surface.

</e_ink_101_with_alex>

E Ink displays for your Raspberry Pi projects

So how and why would you use an E Ink display in your project? Simple! Aside from their low power consumption and indefinite display time, E Ink displays are relatively cheap, light, and interesting to look at. Plus, they’re easy to read in sunny conditions, which isn’t always true of LCD screens. And with e-readers now in their teens, there are plenty of forgotten devices collecting dust in drawers, ready to be repurposed.

Repurposing old e-readers

If you’ve ever tried to use the ‘experimental browser’ on a Kindle device, you’ll have found yourself transported back to the glory days of dial-up refresh rates and half-downloaded images. The only thing missing is the screeching connection tone. However, by connecting your Kindle to the same network as your Raspberry Pi, you can create a web page accessible to the e-reader to display data to your E Ink screen.

This bike computer by David Schneider makes use of that trick:

DIY: Build A Better Bike Computer

A Raspberry Pi and Kindle make vital information about your bicycle journey readable. Read more: http://spectrum.ieee.org/video/geek-life/hands-on/video-build-a-better-bike-computer

Secondhand e-readers are fairly easy to pick up from websites such as eBay, from your local carboot/yard sale, or from book-loving friends or family members. If you have one to hand and want to get making, you’ll find an abundance of tutorials for notification displays and low-power minimalist computers using e-readers.

Brand-new E Ink displays

If you want to buy a smaller display, or don’t have access to an old e-reader, you’ll find many online hobby retailers selling E Ink screens in several sizes and colours. The Pi Supply PaPiRus comes in many shapes and sizes as an easy-to-use Raspberry Pi HAT (Hardware Attached on Top). Simply push it in place on the GPIO pins, download the library to your Pi, and you’re good to go.

In case you’re looking to add a little more colour to your display, the Pimoroni red, white, and black Inky pHAT is an add-on designed for the Raspberry Pi Zero.

A quick and effective project for a smaller display like this is a Raspberry Pi Zero name badge, and we’ve seen our share of them at tech events and Picademy training sessions.

Brian Corteil 🤖 on Twitter

@MKRaspberryJam Yes, just like this one, pHat badge is a case for showing of your pHats, look mum no power!

Once you’ve programmed your Pi and updated your E Ink screen, you can detach it from the Pi and wow those you meet with your magic power-free digital name badge!

And if you buy yourself an E Ink HAT, you can even have a go at this Monzo-powered money tracker.

Past predictions of Liz Upton

Back in 2013, our Director of Communication, Liz Upton, wrote a post about Max Ogden’s Kindleberry Pi build, commenting the following:

Here at the Foundation, we’re watching the development of e-ink products with great interest. At the moment it’s nigh-on impossible to buy an e-ink display as a consumer unless it comes bundled as part of an e-reader like a Kindle or a Nook; and that makes them very expensive. The technology has all kinds of potential for applications we want to see the Pi being used for: the low energy requirement makes an e-ink screen a perfect choice for places where you’re off the grid or reliant on solar power. We’re looking forward to seeing prices come down and displays becoming more easily available to consumers.

How lovely to be sat here in 2018, writing a post about the growing use of E Ink displays and the wide availability of the technology to hobbyists and digital makers! It shows how far the electronics industry for home builders has come, and we’re excited to see where it’s heading next.

Website: LINK

19/06/2018
Daily Deal – Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom, 40% Off

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Today’s Deal: Save 40% on Ni no Kuni™ II: Revenant Kingdom!*

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

*Offer ends Wednesday at 10AM Pacific Time
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18/06/2018
A working original Doctor Who K-9 prop

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When Abertay University purchased some unwanted Doctor Who props from the BBC in 2011, they could never have known that their future computer science student Gary Taylor would transform a water-damaged robot corpse into a working K-9, the cutest (and snarkiest) of all the Doctor’s companions.

image c/o The Courier

K-9

If you’re unfamiliar with Doctor Who, you may not be aware of the Doctor’s robotic-canine best friend, K-9. I won’t wax lyrical about the long and winding history of this iconic science fiction character (though I could), but those of you who want to learn more can watch the video below.

History of K9 – History of Doctor Who

Hello and welcome to the Whoniverse and to another instalment of the History of Doctor Who series, this time I’m not looking at a universe conquering species but a tin dog. Yes the Doctor’s past travelling companion K9. There have been many versions of K9 and he has appeared alongside numerous Doctor’s and other companions.

Tl;dw: K-9 is basically a really clever, robotic dog invented in the year 5000.

Resurrecting a robotic dog

For his final-year dissertation, computer science student Gary Taylor decided to bring K-9 back to life, having discovered the prop damaged by a water leak in the university hackspace.

“I love robotics, I love programming, I love dogs, and I love Doctor Who.” Don’t we all, Gary. Don’t we all.
Image c/o The Courier

For his dissertation, titled Creating an Autonomous Robot Utilizing Raspberry Pi, Arduino, and Ultrasound Sensors for Mapping a Room, Gary used modern-day technology to rebuild K-9’s original and often unreliable radio-controlled electronics from the 1970s.

However, Gary’s K-9 is more than a simple remote-controlled robot. As the dissertation title states, the robot uses ultrasound sensors for room mapping, and this function is controlled by both an Arduino and Raspberry Pi.

A block diagram taken from Gary’s dissertation

An Arduino Mega 2560 controls the wheels and three ultrasound sensors located at the bottom of K-9’s body. It passes the sensor data to the onboard Raspberry Pi 3, and the Pi plots obstacles and walls to create a map of K-9’s surroundings.

The three ultrasonic sensors can be seen along the bottom of K-9’s body

The Raspberry Pi also connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth, where Gary runs a custome app to remotely control K-9 and view the map it creates.

More information? Affirmative!

The team at the Electronic Engineering Journal has written up a very thorough explanation of Gary’s dissertation. Those interested in the full details of the robot won’t be disappointed!

For a video of Gary and K-9 that refuses to embed itself in this blog post, head over to The Courier’s website.

And for more Doctor Who–related Raspberry Pi builds, check out Jeremy Lee’s remake of Captain Jack’s Vortex Manipulator, a synthesised rendition of the classic theme using a Raspberry Pi Zero, and a collection of builds and props in this Doctor Who roundup, including a sonic screwdriver, a Dalek, and a TARDIS in near-space.

Oh, and another thing…

BBC released some cool behind-the-scenes images and photos from season ten of Doctor Who, including this production art for Nardole’s tracking device:

The Pi Towers staff may have let out a little squee of delight when we noticed the Raspberry Pi included within.

Website: LINK

18/06/2018
HP Z2 Mini Workstations Hardware Test , 360 Grad Video REVIEW
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Endlich gibt es einen revolutionären Mini-PC für CAD-Anwendungen mit fantastischer Leistung und Vielseitigkeit in einem kompakten und eleganten Design. Die Z2 Mini – von Designprofis für Designprofis – liefert Performance und Zuverlässigkeit für die beste CAD-Erfahrung.

Hier die Leistung des kleinen Wunderkastens im Detail:

Betriebssystem

Windows 10 Pro 64
Prozessorproduktfamilie
Intel® Xeon® E3 Prozessor
Prozessor
Intel® Xeon® E3-1225 v5 mit Intel HD-Grafikkarte P530 (3,3 GHz, bis zu 3,7 GHz mit Intel Turbo Boost-Technologie, 8 MB Cache, 4 Kerne)
Anzahl Prozessoren

1

Chipsatz

Intel® C236

Formfaktor

Mini-Formfaktor
Speicherkapazität, Standard
DDR4-2400 SDRAM, registriert, 16 GB (2 x 8 GB)
Speichersteckplätze

2 SODIMM

Hier auch die PDF von der offiziellen HP Seite: http://h20195.www2.hp.com/v2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c05262508&doctype=quickspecs&doclang=EN_US&searchquery=&cc=at&lc=de

Unser Test hat sich mit dem schneiden und rendern von 360 Grad / VR Videos beschäftigt.
Das Fazit war sehr herausragend, wir hatten schon verschiedene Workstations im Test. Von Größe bis Lautstärke gibt es da so verschieden Ausführungen das man manchmal nicht weiß ob das , die richtige Workstation für einen ist.

Ich muss sagen mir waren 3 Punkte wichtig:
- Geschwindigkeit, das ding muss Power haben!
- Lautstärke, wenn der Lüfter lauter ist als die Klima im Büro sollte man sich überlegen eine andere Workstation zu holen ^^
- Platz, wie groß ist das Teil. Brauch ich einen Renderraum ala Disney? Und komme dann doch nicht zum Ziel.
Mit dieser Workstation waren alle Punkte abgedeckt, und ich war Sehr positiv überrascht was das kleine Ding an Leistung von sich geben kann.

Als vergleich, ein Durchschnittsrechner mit Intel i5 16GB ram, SSD, und einer Nvida Gaming Karte braucht für 30min. schon knapp mehrere std. für einen 360 Grad VR Clip zum rechnen. Und da ist das Spatial Audio noch nicht mal dabei!

Bei der Workstation von HP, haben wir einen 25min clip in knapp 2STD rausgerechnet, 4k 360 Grad!!!! Die HP Z2 Mini Workstation ist wirklich zu empfehlen auch wenn man am Anfang glaubt das Sie wegen der Größe vielleicht doch nicht mithalten kann.

Also hat HP diesmal fast alles richtig gemacht, das einzige kleine Minus ist das Display Port Kabel wie immer muss man sich selber dazu kaufen 🙂 🙂 Aber kennt man irgendwie von allen Herstellern, bei Sony PlayStation war es damals das Ladekabel für den Controller, bei Nintendo ist es das Stromkabel für die neue kleine RetroKonsole. Also das kann man schon verzeihen sage ich mal 🙂

Source: http://www8.hp.com/at/de/products/workstations/product-detail.html?oid=15747847&jumpid=reg_r1002_atde_c-001_title_r0001#!tab=specs

http://www8.hp.com/us/en/workstations/z2mini/index.html
18/06/2018
Daily Deal – Megaton Rainfall, 38% Off

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Today’s Deal: Save 38% on Megaton Rainfall!*

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

*Offer ends Tuesday at 10AM Pacific Time
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17/06/2018
Daily Deal – Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition, 70% Off

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Today’s Deal: Save 70% on Microsoft Flight Simulator X: Steam Edition!*

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

*Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time
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16/06/2018
Daily Deal – Hand of Fate 2, 20% Off

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Today’s Deal: Save 20% on Hand of Fate 2!*

Look for the deals each day on the front page of Steam. Or follow us on twitter or Facebook for instant notifications wherever you are!

*Offer ends Sunday at 10AM Pacific Time
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15/06/2018
Echoing the Newcastle of yesteryear with Pi-powered whistles

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Artist Steve Messam is celebrating the North of England’s historic role in railway innovation with 16 Raspberry Pi–controlled steam engine whistles around the city of Newcastle.

The Great Exhibition of the North

The Great Exhibition of the North is a summer-long celebration of the pioneering spirit of the North of England. Running over 80 days, the event will feature live performances, exhibitions, artworks, and displays of innovation from 22 June – 9 September 2018.

As part of the celebration, artist Steve Messam is introducing his Whistle project in Newcastle in honour of the North’s part in the innovation of the railway. “Listen out for the evocative sound of steam engine whistles once again echoing across the city of Newcastle,” states the project page of The Great Exhibition of the North. “The sound installation is designed to recall the role of the North in engineering and the invention of the railway, sparking memories and forging links between past and present.”

Whistle

Steve first developed the idea for Whistle as a pitch to the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park back in 2014. He originally wanted to install a line of whistles along the 22-mile course of the old railway line between Callander and Glen Dochart, with whistles sounding off in one-second intervals, recreating the sound of the old line.

Below is a very nice roundup of the initial 2-mile test run, including the original whistle designs.

Steve Messam | Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park

The Artistic Reflections publication will be available from June 2017 For more information, or to order a copy, please contact: susechristie@googlemail.com Designed by Marco Scerri, edited by Susan Christie and supported by Creative Scotland Steve Messam Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park 186,340 hectares Project website: www.mistandmountains.wordpress.com Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park was designated in 2002 and covers 720 square miles of outstanding landscape adjacent to the central belt of Scotland.

Fast forward to 2018 and The Great Exhibition of the North, where Steve is surrounding the city of Newcastle with 16 newly casted brass whistles. The new installation follows the old city wall of Newcastle, with each whistle sounding at exactly 1pm on every day of the exhibition.

Original plans for the whistle

The William Lane Foundry cast the 16 whistles to match a design by William Armstrong based on measurements of an original whistle held by the North East Locomotive Preservation Group. The Newcastle-based software house Nebula Labs created all the control systems.

Whistle casting at the William Lane Foundry

Each whistle is equipped with a Raspberry Pi that controls the release of compressed air through the brass to replicate the sound of a steam whistle.

Steve Messam on Twitter

Another roof, another day of testing #whistle for #getnorth2018 https://t.co/j5Yszx1Crl

Each unit is powered by solar panels and registers the time from the National Physical Laboratory’s atomic clock in London to ensure accurate timings. As a fallback in case of WiFi issues, the whistles are also linked to the clock set on the Raspberry Pi itself.

Steve Messam on Twitter

The more I think about it the more I really like that ‘Whistle’ only really exists for about 20 seconds each day.

For more information on Whistle, check out this wonderful article by the Teesdale Mercury. You can also find out more about Steve Messam projects, such as his paper bridge that can support the weight of a Land Rover, on his website or by following his Twitter account.

A Whistle-stop tour of Newcastle

And if you’re in Newcastle while The Great Exhibition of the North is running and you spot one of the 16 whistles, be sure to tag us in your pics and videos on social media so we can see it in action.

Website: LINK

15/06/2018
Free Weekend – Killing Floor 2, 60% off

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Play Killing Floor 2 for FREE starting now through Sunday at 1PM Pacific Time. You can also pickup Killing Floor 2 at 60% off the regular price!*

If you already have Steam installed, click here to install or play Killing Floor 2. If you don’t have Steam, you can download it here.

*Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time
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14/06/2018
Now Available on Steam – Budget Cuts, 10% off!

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Budget Cuts is Now Available on Steam and is 10% off!*

Budget Cuts is a VR stealth game for the HTC Vive, currently in development by Neat Corporation.

*Offer ends June 21 at 10AM Pacific Time
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14/06/2018
Build your own Star Wars droid

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It is a truth universally acknowledged…that everyone wants their own Star Wars droid. If you’re now thinking “No, not me!”, then you obviously haven’t met the right droid yet. But Patrick ‘PatchBOTS‘ Stefanski has, and that droid is L3-37 from the newly released Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Release the droids

Visit your local maker event, such as Maker Faire, and you’re sure to meet at least one droid builder. Building a Star Wars droid is pretty much every maker’s dream, and YouTube droid-building sensation Patrick Stefanski is living that dream. On his Youtube channel PatchBOTS, Patrick is showcasing his maker chops with truly impressive recreations of characters such as BB-8 and our personal favourite, Chopper from Star Wars Rebels.

L3-37

Patrick’s new L3-37 build uses the free Alexa Voice Service and a Raspberry Pi 3 to augment a 3D-printed base model with robotics and AI.

He designed L3-37’s head based on press images and trailers, and then adjusted some of the visual aesthetic after watching the movie. When he realised that the Amazon Echo Dot he’d started the build with wouldn’t allow him to implement some of the features he had planned, including a unique wake word, Patrick decided to use a Raspberry Pi instead.

A wake word is the word a home assistant uses to recognise that you’re addressing it. For Amazon Alexa, the standard wake words are ‘Alexa’, ‘Echo’, ‘Amazon’, and ‘computer’. While these are fine for standard daily use, Patrick wanted his droid to acknowledge its own name, L3-37. He also wanted to make L3-37 react with a voice response and movement whenever it heard its name. Using the Raspberry Pi enabled him to edit the home assistant code to include these functionalities, and in this way he made L3-37 truly come to life.

Build your own L3-37 home assistant

If you’d like to build your own L3-37 (and why wouldn’t you), Patrick is in the process of adding the complete set of instructions and code to his Github account. The 3D printer files are available now to get you started, along with the list of ingredients for the build, including servos, NeoPixels, and every propmaker’s staple: Rub n Buff.

If you want buy the parts for this project, why not use the affiliate links Patrick provides in the L3-37 video description to help him fund future projects? And while you’re there, leave a comment to show him some love for this incredible droid build, and also subscribe to his channel to see what he comes up with next.

We’re definitely going to be taking some of the lessons learned in this project to work on our own builds, and we hope you’ll do the same and share your work with us via social media.

Website: LINK

14/06/2018
Look who’s coming to Raspberry Fields 2018!

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For those that don’t yet know, Raspberry Fields is the all-new community festival of digital making we’re hosting in Cambridge, UK on 30 June and 1 July 2018!

It will be a chance for people of all ages and skill levels to have a go at getting creative with tech! Raspberry Fields is a celebration of all that our digital makers have already learnt and achieved, whether through taking part in Code Clubs, CoderDojos, or Raspberry Jams, or through trying our resources at home.

We have a packed festival programme of exciting activities, talks, and shows for you to experience! So clear the weekend of 30 June and 1 July, because you won’t want to miss a thing.

Saturday

On Saturday, we’ll be welcoming two very special acts to the Raspberry Fields stage.

Neil Monteiro

Originally trained as a physicist, Neil is famous for his live shows exploring the power of scientific thinking and how it helps us tell the difference between the real and the impossible.

Ada.Ada.Ada

The spellbinding interactive show about computing pioneer Ada Lovelace — catch a sneak peek here!

Sunday

On Sunday, “Science Museum meets Top Gear” as Brainiac Live! takes to the stage to close Raspberry Fields in style.

Brainiac Live!

Strap on your safety goggles — due to popular demand science’s greatest and most volatile live show arrives with a vengeance. The West End and international touring favourite is coming to Raspberry Fields!

More mischievous than ever before, Brainiac Live! will take you on a breathless ride through the wild world of the weird and wonderful. Watch from the safety of your seat as the Brainiacs fearlessly delve into the mysteries of science and do all those things on stage that you’re too scared to do at home!

Weekend highlights

And that’s not all — we’ll also be welcoming some very special guests who will display their projects throughout the weekend. These include:

The Cauldron

Brew potions with molecular mixology and responsive magic wands using science and technology, and bring the magic from fantasy books to life in this immersive, interactive experience! Learn more about The Cauldron here.

The mechanical Umbrella Tree

The Umbrella Tree is a botanical, mechanical contraption designed to bemuse, baffle, delight, and amuse all ages. Audiences discover it in the landscape singing to itself and dancing its strange mechanical ballet. The four-metre high structure weaves a creaky choreography of mechanically operated umbrellas, lights, and smoke.

Museum in a Box

Artefacts in the classroom with Museum in a Box || Raspberry Pi Stories

Museum in a Box bridges the gap between museums and schools by creating a more hands-on approach to conservation education through 3D printing and digital making.

Museum in a Box puts museum collections and expert knowledge into your hands, wherever you are in the world. It’s an intriguing and interactive mix of replica objects and contextual content from museum curators and educators, directly at the tips of your fingers!

And there’s still more to discover

Alongside these exciting and explosive performances and displays, we’ll be hosting loads of amazing projects and hands-on activities built by our awesome community of young people and enthusiasts, as well as licensed resellers for you to get all the latest kit and gadgets!

If you’re wondering about bringing along young children or less technologically minded family members or friends, there’ll be plenty for them to enjoy — with lots of festival-themed activities such as face painting, fun performances, free giveaways, and delicious food, Raspberry Fields will have something for everyone!

Tickets!

Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss out — buy your tickets here today!

Fancy helping out? Find out about our volunteering opportunities.

Website: LINK

13/06/2018
Build your own Arthur satellite dish for tracking the ISS

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Construct a 3D paper model of the iconic Arthur satellite dish that notifies you whenever the International Space Station passes overhead!

Project_Arthur

Project_Arthur is a fun project allowing you to construct a 3d paper model of the Antenna 1 dish called Arthur from Goonhilly. The model will track the location of the ISS (International Space Station) using an embedded Raspberry PI and notify you when it is over your chosen location!

The Arthur satellite dish at Goonhilly Earth Satellite Station

Based in Cornwall, UK, the Goonhilly Earth Satellite Station was once the largest satellite earth station in the world. It has been home to more than 60 dishes since its first dish, Arthur, was built in 1962.

Arthur is responsible for bringing many iconic moments in television history to the UK. For example, it transmitted man’s first steps on the moon on 20 July 1969. Since then, it’s become a protected Grade II listed structure.

Project Arthur

Apollo 50’s Project Arthur is an open-source 3D papercraft project that allows you to build your own desktop Arthur satellite dish model, complete with LED notifications via a Raspberry Pi Zero W.

The entire body of the satellite dish is built using ten sheets of 160gsm cardstock, printed with the Arthur design that you can download for free from the Project Arthur website. A Raspberry Pi Zero W fits within the base of the model, and you can push a small LED through the feedhorn — the bit that sticks out the front of the dish.

The Apollo 50 team created a simple IFTTT web applet that accesses an API to find out the location of the International Space Station (ISS).

The project uses a conditional web applet that we created on the IFTTT (If This Then That) platform. The applet monitors an API via NASA and Open Notify that we give a specific location on Earth (such as your home/school). It computes whether the ISS is overhead, and in that case sends a tweet to you with a particular hashtag (such as #ISS_overGoonhilly). When this hashtag is picked up by the code running on the Pi, the LED will flash to indicate that the ISS is overhead!

Raspberry Pi and the International Space Station

Our two Astro Pi units, Ed and Izzy, are currently aboard the International Space Station as part of the ongoing Astro Pi Challenge we’re running in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA). The Astro Pi units consist of a Raspberry Pi 1 Model B+ and a Sense HAT inside a 6063-grade aluminium flight case, and they allow school children from all ESA member countries to write code to run experiments in space. You can learn more about the Astro Pi Challenge here.

If you’d like to try out more space-themed Pi projects, our free project resources include ‘People in space’ indicator — a handy LED-packed gadget for checking how many people (that we know of 👽) are currently in space.

There are many more free resources on our projects site, including our own take on an ISS tracker, and the files to print your own Astro Pi case. And you can learn more about papercraft in issue 6 of HackSpace magazine, our monthly maker publication available in print and as a free PDF download that makes a sneaky appearance in the Project Arthur video!

Website: LINK

12/06/2018
Archimedes, the Google AIY Projects Vision familiar

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hackster.io‘s ‘resident hardware nerd’ Alex Glow has gifted the world of makers with Archimedes, a shoulder-mounted owl that judges your emotions using the Google AIY Project Vision Kit.

Say Hi to Archimedes – the AI Robot Owl

Say hi to Archimedes – the robot owl with a Google AIY brain. Built with Raspberry Pi + Arduino! Here are some insights into pitfalls of the build process. I made this li’l guy to demo the AIY Vision Kit for Maker Faire 2018… but he’s not going away anytime soon!

Google AIY Project Kits

Google released the Pi-powered AIY Projects Voice Kit last year, providing the entire set of build ingredients with issue 57 of The MagPi Magazine. You loved it, we loved it, and later that year they followed up the Voice Kit’s success with the Vision Kit, also based on the Raspberry Pi.

As the name indicates, the Voice Kit completes tasks in response to voice commands, just like Amazon Alexa or Google Home. The Vision Kit allows makers to experiment with neural networking to implement image recognition in their projects.

Planning for Maker Faire

When the hackster.io team was asked to contribute a project to Google’s stand at Maker Faire Bay Area this year, their in-house self-confessed hardware and robotics nerd Alex Glow took on the challenge.

I took a really, really long time to figure out what to build — what it would look like, how it would animate, how it would dispense the stickers…in the end, I went with this cute and fairly challenging design.

And so, Alex brought Archimedes the robotic owl into the world — and the world is a cuter place for it.

Archimedes the owl

Having set up the Google AIY Vision Kit — you can find Alex’s live build video here — she raided a HackerBox for a pan/tilt gimble. The gimble was far more robust than simple servos, and since Alex wanted to bring Archimedes to more events after Maker Faire, she needed something that would take the wear and tear.

it’ll be fun trying to explain this one // i tried: bit.ly/robotowl

337 Likes, 18 Comments – Alex Glow (@glowascii) on Instagram: “it’ll be fun trying to explain this one // i tried: bit.ly/robotowl”

For Maker Faire, she modified Archimedes to be a shoulder-mounted familiar, but Alex initially mounted him on a box that would open to reveal a prize if Archimedes detected a certain facial expression. For this, she introduced an Arduino into the mix, using the board to control three servos: two for the gimble and the third for the box lid.

Archimedes’s main objective is to hunt out faces and read their expressions. Because of this, his head is always moving so he can take in his surroundings like a real owl.

I combined the AIY Kit’s LED and Joy Detection demos (found in /gpiozero and /joy, respectively). I wanted to make the LED pin turn on when it finds a happy face, but weirdly, this code does the opposite. Someday, I will be enough of a software wizard to figure out why…

Alex designed the owl’s body using OnShape, with the intention of keeping the Raspberry Pi and AIY tech inside. Then she 3D printed the body using the Lulzbot Taz 6 and very hackster-blue filament.

Shawn Hymel on Twitter

Testing out @glowascii ‘s familiar, Archimedes. It knows when I’m sad or happy, but I have to *really* force that happy 😅 #aiy #computervision #ai #3dprinting https://t.co/77pQk9pOHm

Build your own robot familiar

For full instructions on building and coding your own Archimedes, head to Alex’s hackster.io project page. You can keep up to date on the pair’s adventures via Alex’s Twitter account.

Website: LINK

11/06/2018
Protecting coral reefs with Nemo-Pi, the underwater monitor
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The German charity Save Nemo works to protect coral reefs, and they are developing Nemo-Pi, an underwater “weather station” that monitors ocean conditions. Right now, you can vote for Save Nemo in the Google.org Impact Challenge.

Save Nemo

The organisation says there are two major threats to coral reefs: divers, and climate change. To make diving saver for reefs, Save Nemo installs buoy anchor points where diving tour boats can anchor without damaging corals in the process.

Anchors damage corals.

Buoys are safe anchor points.

In addition, they provide dos and don’ts for how to behave on a reef dive.

The Nemo-Pi

To monitor the effects of climate change, and to help divers decide whether conditions are right at a reef while they’re still on shore, Save Nemo is also in the process of perfecting Nemo-Pi.

This Raspberry Pi-powered device is made up of a buoy, a solar panel, a GPS device, a Pi, and an array of sensors. Nemo-Pi measures water conditions such as current, visibility, temperature, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide concentrations, and pH. It also uploads its readings live to a public webserver.

The Save Nemo team is currently doing long-term tests of Nemo-Pi off the coast of Thailand and Indonesia. They are also working on improving the device’s power consumption and durability, and testing prototypes with the Raspberry Pi Zero W.

The web dashboard showing live Nemo-Pi data

Long-term goals

Save Nemo aims to install a network of Nemo-Pis at shallow reefs (up to 60 metres deep) in South East Asia. Then diving tour companies can check the live data online and decide day-to-day whether tours are feasible. This will lower the impact of humans on reefs and help the local flora and fauna survive.

A healthy coral reef

Nemo-Pi data may also be useful for groups lobbying for reef conservation, and for scientists and activists who want to shine a spotlight on the awful effects of climate change on sea life, such as coral bleaching caused by rising water temperatures.

A bleached coral reef

Vote now for Save Nemo

If you want to help Save Nemo in their mission today, vote for them to win the Google.org Impact Challenge:
1. Head to the voting web page
2. Click “Abstimmen” in the footer of the page to vote
3. Click “JA” in the footer to confirm
Voting is open until 6 June. You can also follow Save Nemo on Facebook or Twitter. We think this organisation is doing valuable work, and that their projects could be expanded to reefs across the globe. It’s fantastic to see the Raspberry Pi being used to help protect ocean life.

Website: LINK
01/06/2018
Skulls for the Skull Throne 2018

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Skulls for the Skull Throne is back, with in-game events and great discounts up to 90% off, as part of this week’s Weekend Deal.

It’s back! Fantastic new Skulls themed content and updates for many of your favourite Warhammer games. The Bone Giant comes to Total War: WARHAMMER II, earn a Skull portrait UI in Warhammer: Vermintide 2, unleash the Legion of the Damned in Warhammer 40,000: Space Wolf and deploy new successor chapters in Space Hulk: Deathwing – all to name just a few. There is also a new game with Adeptus Titanicus: Dominus, plus new DLC and pre-orders to look out for.

In celebration of this festival of Warhammer gaming, there’s up to 90% off selected Games Workshop and Warhammer universe titles during this time.

Website: LINK

31/05/2018
Now Available on Steam – Smoke and Sacrifice, 20% off!

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Smoke and Sacrifice is Now Available on Steam and is 20% off!*

Smoke and Sacrifice sees Sachi, a mother forced to give up her son, adventure into a grotesque underworld on a quest that will lead her to a darker truth.

*Offer ends June 7 at 10AM Pacific Time
Website: LINK

31/05/2018
Free Weekend – Train Simulator

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Play Train Simulator for FREE starting now through Sunday at 1PM Pacific Time. You can also pickup Train Simulator and DLC at up to 75% off the regular price!*

If you already have Steam installed, click here to install or play Train Simulator. If you don’t have Steam, you can download it here.

*Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time
Website: LINK

31/05/2018
Weekend Deal – 505 Games Publisher Sale, up to 90% Off

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Save up to 90% on 505 Games as part of this week’s Weekend Deal*!

*Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time

Website: LINK

31/05/2018
Free Weekend – Rising Storm 2: Vietnam

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Play Rising Storm 2: Vietnam for FREE starting now through Sunday at 1PM Pacific Time. You can also pickup Rising Storm 2: Vietnam at 50% off the regular price!*

If you already have Steam installed, click here to install or play Rising Storm 2: Vietnam. If you don’t have Steam, you can download it here.

*Offer ends Monday at 10AM Pacific Time
Website: LINK

31/05/2018
MagPi 70: Home automation with Raspberry Pi

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Hey folks, Rob here! It’s the last Thursday of the month, and that means it’s time for a brand-new The MagPi. Issue 70 is all about home automation using your favourite microcomputer, the Raspberry Pi.

Home automation in this month’s The MagPi!

Raspberry Pi home automation

We think home automation is an excellent use of the Raspberry Pi, hiding it around your house and letting it power your lights and doorbells and…fish tanks? We show you how to do all of that, and give you some excellent tips on how to add even more automation to your home in our ten-page cover feature.

Upcycle your life

Our other big feature this issue covers upcycling, the hot trend of taking old electronics and making them better than new with some custom code and a tactically placed Raspberry Pi. For this feature, we had a chat with Martin Mander, upcycler extraordinaire, to find out his top tips for hacking your old hardware.

Upcycling is a lot of fun

But wait, there’s more!

If for some reason you want even more content, you’re in luck! We have some fun tutorials for you to try, like creating a theremin and turning a Babbage into an IoT nanny cam. We also continue our quest to make a video game in C++. Our project showcase is headlined by the Teslonda on page 28, a Honda/Tesla car hybrid that is just wonderful.

We review PiBorg’s latest robot

All this comes with our definitive reviews and the community section where we celebrate you, our amazing community! You’re all good beans

An amazing, and practical, Raspberry Pi project

Get The MagPi 70

Issue 70 is available today from WHSmith, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, and Asda. If you live in the US, head over to your local Barnes & Noble or Micro Center in the next few days for a print copy. You can also get the new issue online from our store, or digitally via our Android and iOS apps. And don’t forget, there’s always the free PDF as well.

New subscription offer!

Want to support the Raspberry Pi Foundation and the magazine? We’ve launched a new way to subscribe to the print version of The MagPi: you can now take out a monthly £4 subscription to the magazine, effectively creating a rolling pre-order system that saves you money on each issue.

You can also take out a twelve-month print subscription and get a Pi Zero W plus case and adapter cables absolutely free! This offer does not currently have an end date.

That’s it for today! See you next month.

Website: LINK

31/05/2018
Bring abstract concepts to life with AR expeditionsBring abstract concepts to life with AR expeditions

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Over the last three years, Google Expeditions has helped students go on virtual field trips to far-off places like Machu Picchu, the International Space Station and the Galapagos Islands. The more you look around those places in virtual reality (VR), the more you notice all the amazing things that are there. And while we’ve seen first hand how powerful a tool VR is for going places, we think augmented reality (AR) is the best way to learn more about the things you find there. Imagine walking around a life-sized African elephant in your classroom or putting a museum’s worth of ancient Greek statues on your table.

Last year at Google I/O we announced the Google Expeditions AR Pioneer Program, and over the last school year, one million students have used AR in their classrooms. With AR expeditions, teachers can bring digital 3D objects into their classrooms to help their students learn about everything from biology to Impressionist art.

Starting today, Expeditions AR tours are available to anyone via the Google Expeditions app on both Android and iOS. We’ve also updated the Expeditions app to help you discover new tours, find your saved tours, and more easily start a solo adventure. It’s never been easier to start a tour on your own, at home with your family or in the classroom.

Website: LINK

30/05/2018