Hello Makers! Welcome to the June 2025 edition of our Raspberry Pi skills newsletter.
Here’s your bite-sized update: two project ideas, one power tutorial, and our brand-new Buildfast offer. Enjoy, learn, build! 🚀
🔥 Spotlight Projects
Luxury Pi Cat House – Pi-controlled heated floor, climate sensors, night-vision cam, and voice updates keep outdoor cats comfy at –27 °C. Great demo of sensor fusion + smart-home coding.
AI Creeper Robot – 3D-printed Minecraft Creeper on wheels. A Pi 5 + Hailo-8 runs real-time object detection; dual cameras map the room. Perfect template for anyone adding edge-AI to robots.
🚀 Buildfast – Robotics in Weeks, Not Months
Want structured, hands-on guidance? Buildfast is our new course that walks you from “fresh Pi” to full robots—step-by-step videos, project kits, and community support.
Early-bird pricing now live (limited seats).
First module drops in August.
👉 Pre-order here:
📅 June Highlights
Raspberry Pi OS Update – new screen lock, better touchscreen, improved printer setup.
Coolest Projects Livestream – June 25 – see top youth Pi builds.
Local Jams – Melbourne 6/1, Riverside 6/9, virtual Raspberry Pint 6/17. Check the Pi events page for details.
🛠️ Quick Tutorial – Beginner-Friendly Pi Rover
Build a simple robot that drives forward and automatically dodges obstacles. No prior robotics experience needed!
1️⃣ Parts List (under 40 USD)
Part | Example Spec | Why You Need It |
|---|---|---|
Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 | Any RAM size | “Brain” of the robot |
2-wheel chassis kit | Motors + wheels + acrylic plate | Easy rolling base |
L298N motor driver board | 2 A dual H-bridge | Lets the Pi control motor direction & speed |
HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor | 2–400 cm range | Detects objects in front |
7.4 V Li-ion pack + 5 V buck converter | ~2000 mAh | Powers Pi + motors |
Male-to-female jumper wires | 40 pcs | Connect everything |
(Buy a pre-bundled “robot car kit for Raspberry Pi” if you want fewer loose parts.)
2️⃣ Wiring
Pi GPIO | Connects To | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
23 | HC-SR04 Trigger | Send ultrasound pulse |
24 | HC-SR04 Echo (via 1 kΩ / 2 kΩ divider) | Read return pulse |
5, 6 | L298N IN1, IN2 | Left-motor direction |
13, 19 | L298N IN3, IN4 | Right-motor direction |
5 V pin | HC-SR04 Vcc, L298N 5 V jumper | Sensor & driver logic |
GND | All GND pins | Common ground |
Battery + | L298N 12 V pin | Motor power |
Battery – | Pi GND & L298N GND | Shared ground |
Tips:
Use the Pi’s 5 V pin only for logic. Motors get power from the battery through the L298N.
Put a small 1 µF–10 µF capacitor across the motor terminals to reduce electrical noise.
3️⃣ Setup on the Pi
sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade # latest OS + firmware
sudo apt install python3-gpiozero python3-rpi.gpio4️⃣ Copy-Paste Code (with comments)
from gpiozero import Motor, DistanceSensor
from time import sleep
# Motor objects: (forward_pin, backward_pin)
left = Motor(forward=5, backward=6)
right = Motor(forward=13, backward=19)
# Ultrasonic: echo pin, trigger pin (cm output by default)
sonar = DistanceSensor(echo=24, trigger=23, max_distance=1.5)
print("Rover ready. Ctrl-C to stop.")
while True:
dist = sonar.distance * 100 # metres → cm
if dist < 25: # obstacle closer than 25 cm
# Back up a little
left.backward()
right.backward()
sleep(0.4)
# Pivot right
left.forward()
right.backward()
sleep(0.35)
else:
# Clear path – roll forward
left.forward()
right.forward()
sleep(0.02) # small pause keeps loop responsive
Press Ctrl-C to halt the program safely.
5️⃣ Tune & Extend
Distance threshold – raise to 35 cm for earlier turns.
Turn time – tweak the 0.35 s pivot until your rover swings ~90°.
Go further – add a second ultrasonic sensor for side scans, or drop in a Pi Camera and try line following with OpenCV.
🎉 That’s it! You’ve built a fully autonomous rover in an afternoon. When you’re ready for multi-sensor navigation, voice control, or AI vision, check out our Buildfast course (early-bird spots still open ➜ buildfast.ca).
We’re super excited about building Pi Mastery with the community, and we’d love to have you on board. 🎉 Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks!
Now over to you – we’d love to hear your voice! What Raspberry Pi project or skill are you most excited about right now? Have you recently built something awesome, or is there a Pi challenge you’re tackling next? Hit reply and let us know. 😃 Your insights or questions might be featured in a future newsletter, so don’t be shy!
Until next time, keep experimenting and happy making.
Adil KA