
Installing Raspberry Pi OS Liteĭownload the Raspberry Pi OS Lite image from: You’ll need a keyboard attached to the Raspberry Pi, and you might want to have it connected to your computer monitor, so things are easy to read. Next task – get an operating system on the SD card and enable SSH so that it can be accessed remotely from the network. Make sure you leave a space for the button too.
#Magic mirror project software
Just make sure you can still get to the internals to plug in a keyboard for the software setup. You can use the metal fasteners that the picture frame already has built-in, or in my case, because the USB hub makes everything too fat, I used a copious amount of adhesives. Back and stand re-attached.įinally, the back and stand are to be re-attached.

You can buy buttons and Raspberry Pis with pre-soldered headers if you want to avoid soldering at all. My Raspberry Pi only has a few headers soldered because I am both too lazy to solder the ones I’m yet to use and terrible at soldering. It’s connected to GPIO pin 21 and ground. I’ve kind of skipped over the button you can see in the above photos – it’s just a basic push button with a couple of wires soldered to it. It may not seem like a permanent solution, but it will hold – and be easy to remove if you want to make any adjustments. The plastic riser, which ran around the inside edge of the frame, was removed so that everything can sit flush with the front glass.īlutack was used to hold the internals (now all stuck together) to the frame. The plastimorph was regrettably abandoned, and more tape was used instead. Here it all is put together and sitting in the frame.Īs much as I’m a fan of being untidy, this is going a bit too far.

I’ve used the plastimorph to create some brackets to hold the screen onto the perspex sheet, which is simply taped to the shroud, which usually sits inside the picture frame. The heat melts the plastic granules into a clump, which you can then shape with your hands. Plastimorph! You put the granules in boiling water (which is what’s in that jar), wait a minute, and in return, you get plastic you can shape, which will set hard. I’ve marked the screen corners, so I know not to place any tape over where it will show through on the other side. The apt package manager for other assorted dependencies.This project will be a good way to explore using Linux packages as well as Bash and Python scripts: Adhesives Warningĭon’t glue or tape over or near exposed electronics (capacitors, transistors, resistors, chips) on circuit boards – they could short or overheat! Always have the board properly mounted in a plastic case – then stick things to that. The newer Raspberry Pi Zero W has built-in WiFi and no need for this, so I’ve left it out. My smart mirror’s innards will also include a USB hub as I don’t have the OG Raspberry Pi Zero and will need an extra USB port for a WiFi adapter. If you’re adding a button and wire and don’t have any pre-soldered, you’ll need a soldering iron (but again – optional!)Įverything above can be found on your favorite multi-colored logo bearing online marketplace.( if Apple are content to make their devices unrepairable by filling them with glue, so are we)Īnd in the second picture, some optional extras: Adhesives – double-sided tape, glue, etc.2-way Mirror Acrylic Sheet (Mine is 3mm thick, A5 size).You might recognize some of the parts from the Raspberry Pi Palmtop project – everything gets recycled here. Here’s the hardware used to put our project together. Materials Hardware Magic Mirror Hardware (1/2) Magic Mirror Hardware (2/2) The completed mirror and a definitely not staged stage for it. In keeping with the Raspberry Pi Palmtop article, I’ll avoid anything that requires special tools or 3d printers, or exact measurements.

Smart mirrors are pretty easy to make, but everyone seems to make big ones, so let’s make a small one for your desk or bedside table instead. Smart mirrors (also sometimes known as “magic mirrors”) can display live information right in the reflection on a mirror – it looks cool and is actually kind of useful. You can set them up to display whatever information you want – calendars, weather, quotes, photos, reminders – it’s totally up to you.
#Magic mirror project how to
Ever wanted to see check the weather is in Tripoli and read randomized Seinfeld quotes while you’re doing your hair in the morning? Smart mirrors are the DIY project to make that happen. This easy-to-follow tutorial covers how to build a small magic mirror using a Raspberry Pi Zero and a few other bits and pieces.
