The use of Raspberry Pi in prop making

PogoMonkeyTutu

New Member
Hi all.

Has anyone used a Raspberry Pi in their prop-making projects? I'd really like to try and put together a collection of them for the Raspberry Pi blog. If you've used one, or know of a project that has, please do share them here. Thank you in advance!
 
Sundowner

Start with an Arduino.... :)

See if you NEED a Pi even...


-----

If you want video = pi
If you want some real time audio processing = pi (Arduino can do playback..but thats getting to the limits)

90% of my projects are most Arduino based

I have done a couple Pi projects as well (although not really props).

* Mini Arcade cabinet/emulator

* MQTT server (broker) for home automation stuff (along with fully installed LAMP/Apache, MySQL, PHP for logging and other web related needs)

* Barbot.. although the PI is really just being used for the touchscreen interface (drink menu) to send out the 'recipe' via serial to the Arduino that does all the serial parsing, servo and stepper work...etc


IMHO... the drawbacks are:

1.) size (most props need the smallest electronics to fit)
2.) price.. outside of the odd 30% deal the last week or so at Arrow.. I have never saw a RPi for under $35.00 (EVER!)... so its not always cost effective/efficient to spend $35 on a PI and shove it in a prop permanently each time... (plus I'd bet most of the time its overkill to use a Pi)

Doesnt compare when you can spend $3.00 USD for a Pro-Mini and forget about it.. You really need to decide if you NEED a Pi (the power).. :)
 
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Welcome to the RPF.

I haven't completed my project, but I will be using a Raspberry Pi CM3 in my project.
https://www.therpf.com/showthread.php?t=245034&page=10&p=4490745&viewfull=1#post4490745

I am also looking for anyone expert on the Pi who can help write a driver for a AOS 3.81" AMOLED DSI display.


https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1808/43238219092_1ec5411174_c.jpg

Haha, I'm actually starting a very similar project myself in the next week or so with the hope of taking it to Makerfaire. With far less spec than yours though. That's impressive!

- - - Updated - - -

Start with an Arduino.... :)

See if you NEED a Pi even...

I don't think my boss would appreciate me writing about Arduino use in prop making for the Raspberry Pi blog though :D

- - - Updated - - -

I could have so many projects if I understood how to us Raspberry PI

As if by magic, look what today's blog post is about: https://www.raspberrypi.org/blog/getting-started-raspberry-pi/
 
LOL.. sorry.. that comment was for Sundowner! (I should have quoted it!)

Thanks for the link!.. (checking it out myself!)
 
Well....Pi is more power than most props will need. But that said; it's practically the same price as an Arduino these days, and plugs right into standard peripherals while you program in the language of your choice within a Linux environment. For something with heavy sound it is almost a no-brainer, as it handles pretty decent audio natively and is powerful enough to do DSP. To play back more than the simplest sounds on the older Arduinos you have to add a second set of chips.

That said...you ARE running Linux. As in, a complete OS, with all that entails. "All that" meaning boot-up times, potential log-in issues, occasional kernel panics.
 
2.) price.. outside of the odd 30% deal the last week or so at Arrow.. I have never saw a RPi for under $35.00 (EVER!)... so its not always cost effective/efficient to spend $35 on a PI and shove it in a prop permanently each time... (plus I'd bet most of the time its overkill to use a Pi)
There is also the Raspberry Pi Zero line, which has smaller less capable boards.
Besides GPIO you get, USB, video and camera. The more expensive boards have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, [strike]but at still half the price of the "full" Raspberry Pi.[/strike] Edit: Not that much cheaper, and not everywhere. I should have looked around more. Sorry.

There are now also many competitors to the Raspberry Pi in different sizes and configurations, but I think the Raspberry Pi still gives the best value for money.
 
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There are even other variants than the ZERO as well...

The zero would be a valid choice as well.. IMHO.. I dont think the other formats are for normal use for us 'hobby/beginners'.. haha

ie: the CM3/Lite for example.. as it needs a connector (check out zapwizards image above for example)


* (Also the Zero WH has BT and WFI I believe as well)
 
Well....Pi is more power than most props will need. But that said; it's practically the same price as an Arduino these days, and plugs right into standard peripherals while you program in the language of your choice within a Linux environment. For something with heavy sound it is almost a no-brainer, as it handles pretty decent audio natively and is powerful enough to do DSP. To play back more than the simplest sounds on the older Arduinos you have to add a second set of chips.

That said...you ARE running Linux. As in, a complete OS, with all that entails. "All that" meaning boot-up times, potential log-in issues, occasional kernel panics.

Not to mention... I have never seen RPi 'clones' on ebay or on Chinese sites..etc..

I can get an Uno for under $5.00 USD.... have never seen that price for a RPi anywhere..


Dont get me wrong.. I am not against RPi's by any means.. I have 3 sitting in front of me right now (well 4..but one isnt mine!) LOL..

I personally think the learnign curve is stepper than an Arduino.. and I also think that an RPi is overkill for most prop needs... (not to mention the form factor. a Pro-Mini is hard to beat in size and power and cost.. if it fits the project needs!) :)
 
Yup. Apples and oranges. Basically the Arduino/AVR is a microprocessor, the Pi is a microcomputer. The Pi naturally lives in an environment of standard peripherals; keyboards, DVI displays, CD-quality audio, and it has almost the power of a desktop, with deep and extensive software libraries for heavy-duty number crunching; processing audio, generating graphics, doing facial recognition and other fun tasks. Concurrent with this is an increase in cost, minimum size, and stability.

The AVR, on the other hand, is all but naked to the world; not shielded behind an OS or communicating to the world through specialized high-level ports (USB, etc.) By itself it is a bare-metal, register address equals physical wire device. And it is hardy about this; those wires can drive significant loads and will on the flip side put up with an amazing amount of noise and overvoltage and other abuses. It is blase about power and clock needs as well; my Holocrons run off a bare LiPo with no power regulation whatsoever and use the internal (10% either way) clock.

The place where this difference really shows is that you encounter the Pi as the full Pi board, with regulators and terminals. You can easily work with the AVR with the Arduino stripped off it, though, even dead-bug onto the dip itself if that's your delight. And at that point the brain costs you under two bucks.
 
I am using a Raspberry Pi 3 B+ in my new TARDIS to control lighting, audio and video.
twotardis.jpg

 
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