Raspberry Pi Official Magazine #112

I’m a big fan of inquisitive people. Especially when it comes to messing around inside computers. After all, being inquisitive about computers is a big part of the Raspberry Pi experience. I’ve just spent the last couple of days overclocking the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W computer (page 52). With a cooling case and a couple of lines of code; an intrepid editor can get it running from 1GHz to 1.4GHz. A pretty nifty upgrade. Zero 2 W is an incredible new computer. We’ve scoured every project from the last couple of years that involved Raspberry Pi Zero. The result is 40 incredible projects in our Make & Build with Zero 2 (page 34). The last twelve months have been a wild ride on The MagPi magazine. We’ve had Raspberry…

MAKER Hendrik Ohrens Full stack software developer Hendrik enjoys playing lacrosse, and making things in his spare time. magpi.cc/robotarminsta Like many of us, 33-year-old software engineer Hendrik Ohrens likes to combine the technical skills he uses for work with those he’s picked up through his hobbies, to come up with something creative. “I love working on projects that involve electronics, mechanics, and software,” he says of his enthusiasm for making things. With a background in scientific research and mechanical engineering at the University of Hannover, plus a few Raspberry Pi builds under his belt, he decided it was time to challenge himself to design his first robot. He decided on a robot arm, since it seemed relatively simple to design but “still has some degree of flexibility”. When Hendrik’s existing…

01 Download and 3D-print the robot arm parts, including a clamp for the table, if needed. Hendrik used five Dynamixel XL330-M288-T servos, along with an Arduino board and Raspberry Pi 3B+ for his version. 02 Attach and install a Dynamixel Shield and Arduino MKR, then flash dynamixel_api from the code/arduino folder to your Arduino. You also need to set up and install Python 3 and ikpy lib on your Raspberry Pi and attach a power supply. 03 Build the robot arm by putting a servo in the base; screw the base_element on to it, followed by the arm_elements. Clamp the base to a table or something solid, otherwise the arm will fall. For complete setup details and code, see: github.com/devdrik/robo-arm.…

MAKER Simon Richardson A senior electrical engineer at The Little Car Company, who learnt Python on Raspberry Pi. thelittlecar.co One of the most iconic cars in cinema history, the Aston Martin DB5 remains extremely cool to this day – even without the many enhancements that Q installed into James Bond’s vehicle. A real Aston Martin DB5 will set you back an unimaginable amount of money, and won’t even have changing number-plates as standard. If you’re happy with something a little smaller, cheaper, and a bit more eco-friendly, The Little Car Company has a solution for you: the Aston Martin DB5 Junior No Time To Die Edition – which uses some Raspberry Pi magic behind the scenes. “As we needed to control two screens, Raspberry Pi 4 was a logical choice…

01 When the car’s ignition is switched on, a 555 timer creates a pulse that triggers a Witty Pi board to switch Raspberry Pi on. The program runs automatically, with the cursor and splash screen disabled so that the screens remain blank until the default licence plate image is displayed. 02 The licence plate images are the same as those used on the car in the film. The images are referenced in an array – when the switch is pressed, the screen changes to the next image in the array. When it gets to the last image, it goes back to the first image again when the switch is pressed. 03 When the gun is activated, the headlights are retracted, and when that is confirmed, the relays will activate to…

MAKER Eben Kouao Eben builds DIY prototypes based on new technologies. From smart mirrors to delivery robots, you can find more of his projects at smartbuilds.io. magpi.cc/ebenkouao Inspired by the likes of Amazon and Starship, two companies that have both created six-wheeled delivery robots (magpi.cc/amazonscout and starship.xyz), UK-based Eben Kouao wondered if he could possibly build a similar vehicle. As powerful mini-computers become more accessible, Eben started building his own version with a Raspberry Pi and an Arduino, and the result of his labours is Droiid, a clever robot that can be controlled from anywhere in the world. Direct Droiid “Droiid came through the inspiration of recent innovations going on within the delivery market,” Eben tells us. “As online consumer demand increases, to keep up with growing demand, the idea…