6 surprisingly useful Raspberry Pi projects that anyone can do

Are you considering embarking on a Raspberry Pi? – then you’re in luck – because the small, super-smart computer has an endless amount of opportunities to get creative with. If you are looking to get your Raspberry Pi put to good use for pure practicality, here are 6 surprisingly useful Raspberry Pi projects that absolutely anyone can do.

And if you need more inspiration, browse through the products of a reputable raspberry pi store.

1. Expand Your WiFi Network

Although the Raspberry Pi does not create the networks you use at home, it can improve them if you proceed to configure the system as a wireless range extender by utilising its ethernet and USB ports. As a result, this will enable your Wi-Fi connection to cover any dead zones of your home and extend so far as to cover your whole house with much better signal.

• Learn Programming

The Raspberry Pi was originally designed as an inexpensive introduction to programming and computer science for beginners looking to get into the field. So why not use the small computer system to learn programming yourself. It’s an incredible skill to possess and is super easy to learn with a Raspberry Pi system, especially if you already own one, it’s worth the time investment.

• Make a TV Smarter

If you want to add web browsing and other basic computing capabilities to your TV, the Raspberry Pi does the job for a fraction of the price of a Chromebit or other smart computer operating systems. The Raspberry Pi can also look super trendy and stylish in your home theatre with the right case.

• Automated Temperature Check and Mask Detector

This Pi project creates an affordable, touch-free kiosk that provides contactless temperature checks, and confirms that each person who passes is wearing a mask, by utilising facial landmarking software and infrared temperature sensors. Because of Covid-19, temperature checkpoints have become commonplace in workplaces, schools, and many public places. This project uses facial landmarking and an infrared temperature sensor to automate the process of temperature checks. It makes use of a Pi Touch display, a Pi Camera Module, and a few other components.

• Create an Ad Blocker

Instead of wasting time having ad blockers installed on each of your devices as well as your web browser, you can use the Raspberry Pi’s power to block ads across your entire home network. If you’re worried about ads that you need to see being blocked, you can whitelist specific URLs to ensure that those ads aren’t blocked.

Pi-hole is a network-wide ad blocker that can be installed on the Raspberry Pi. When using it, no “Ad blocker detected” pop-ups appear while browsing. In addition, unlike with common ad blockers, Pi-hole can be used on all devices on your network.

• Raspberry Pi Porch Alarm

Inexpensive motion detector alarms can be found all over the web, but you could create an alarm that goes off every time someone approaches your door with Pi. This project provides a porch pirate alarm that uses Pi and AI to detect when packages are delivered, and even sets off an alarm when a package is removed from the location.