Best Electromaker Community Projects August 2020 Edition

It's already September? What happened to August? 2020 continues to fly by, and with it a ton of awesome maker projects have popped up on Electromaker. Check out the best Electromaker community projects, August 2020 edition!

DIY Harry Potter Moving Portrait

Accio awesome! In the Harry Potter universe, pictures and portraits in the magical world move. And this DIY Harry Potter moving portrait uses a Raspberry Pi to display images that move. You can use a monitor or even an old broken laptop for the screen. It's great for watching movies and playing videos, use as a digital photo frame, or web browsing too.

Futurama Death Clock

When animated sci-fi series "Futurama" debuted in 1999, the Matt Groening-created show quickly amassed a cult following. And the TV show which hails from the creator of "The Simpsons" featured tons of memorable episodes. In season one, episode eight "A Big Piece of Garbage," inventor Professor Farnsworth concocted a Death Clock that displays the date and cause of the user's death. It's definitely a bit "Final Destination." Using an Adruino, Disaster of Puppets re-created the "Futurama" Death Clock for a device that, at the press of a button, shows a date and cause of death.

Interactive Storytelling Radio

Have you got an old radio lying around? Retrofit it with a Raspberry Pi and a Google AIY kit for an interactive storytelling radio! This complete overhaul lends an updates feature set including voice control capabilities. It's 8 Bits and a Byte deliver once again. For a modern smart speaker wrapped in a retro exterior, this is a great project.

Rasspberry Pi-powered Dancing Robot

Self-driving cars are popular. But an autonomous vehicle isn't limited to the likes of Teslas. You can build your own self-driving automobiles and robotics at home. This dancing robot quickly becomes the life of the party. While many at-home robot builds rely on Arduino microcontrollers, this fun dancing robot instead opts for a Raspberry Pi 4 as its foundation.

Easy 3D-printable Arduino CNC Drawing Machine

A CNC drawing machine doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. You can create your own Arduino-powered affordable CNC drawing machine with a bit of 3D printing, some wiring, and a little code. After that, you've got a high-quality device capable of drawing on phones cases, paper, or even cakes.

Wi-Fi-controlled Window Blinds

Smart home control and automation can be extremely beneficial. You'll find tons of connected devices ranging from smart home hubs to automatic plant watering systems. One of the best upgrades you can make is a set of Wi-Fi window blinds. Unfortunately, smart blinds can be extremely costly. Avoid the exorbitantly-high price tag with DIY Internet of Things (IoT) blinds! These connected window shades utilize an ESP32, DC motor, and driver board. It's a cheap, functional means of making your home a bit smarter.

MQTT on Wio Terminal

The MQTT messaging protocol is extremely useful. ANd with the Seeed Wio terminal, you can run MQTT. This project takes a look at MQTT pub and sub on the Wio terminal for transferring data to and from the Wio and devices such as phones, tablets, and PCs.

Getting Started with Meadow by Controlling Onboard RGB LEDs

Meadow is a pretty nifty device with support for Visual Studio 2019. Maker Jorge looks at how to make full .NET apps run on the Meadow board by controlling RGB LEDs. There are tons of other applications for using Meadow as well, including controlling an LED with a digital output or PWM with Meadow.

Best Electromaker Community Projects August 2020 Edition - Final Thoughts

While these were the best-picks for Electromaker community projects, there are plenty of other maker, tech, and DIY creations that you can browse. Plus, you can peruse our staff blog and in-house tutorials sections.

Want to be featured in our next Electromaker community project roundup? Join Electromaker TODAY and begin sharing YOUR maker projects!