This guest post is courtesy of Farnell

The UK-based Raspberry Pi Foundation has released a computer the size of a business card with a focus on giving children the basic idea of computer programming and engineering. However, the Raspberry Pi kit is not focused on kids; people of all ages can get enjoyment and entertainment from it.

The Pi has all of the capabilities of a full scale PC including the classic HDMI, USB and also RCA and LAN ports. The new model also includes 512 MB of RAM. According to the developers, the Pi can be used not only for running simple computer applications but is also able to run HD video games. I have also used an earlier version of the product which had 256 MB of RAM, and its graphics were immaculate at 1080p video over HDMI, which is reasonable considering the price is a mere $35.

The best thing about this product is that you can also connect microcontrollers, sensors, actuators and cameras to it, which distinguishes it from other contemporary products.
We’ve gathered the following project information so that you can begin exploring this amazing little computer and what it can do.

Keep one thing in mind: many of these computers are similar to old gaming consoles. Downloading them is protected by the copyright laws even if you possess a hard copy – however, there are websites where downloading them is totally legal.

1. The Micro Arcade Cabinet

It’s the biggest wish of every gamer to have his own arcade cabinet, but the lack of space is an issue. Although this device has been devised for little hands, it contains some of the most classic games ever such as Bubble Bobble. The pad contains a joystick and a set of four buttons which can be used to control directions for the games which require dual joystick such as Robotron. The name of the game being played is displayed on a little marquee above the screen. The great thing about the Raspberry Pi is that it is portable with a very low-power consumption rate. If someone wants a taste of gaming on their way to or from office or school or anywhere else, this product is the ultimate choice.

2. Self –Balancing robot

A few years ago, Segway scooters came in the market. Although they were not able to revolutionize the transportation system as expected, they have helped shopping mall guards and watchmen run surveillance checks throughout the complex without having to move of their own accord. Regardless of their usefulness, there is no question about the technology which has been used to develop this device. With the help of a gyroscope, accelerometer, and other similar sensors, this robot is able to maintain balance on just two wheels.

Roberta takes me back to the sci-fi of the mid-20th century, where I could build a toy robot in a very simple manner. It is controlled by the Raspberry Pi and contains pre-drilled perforated surfaces which allows for the addition of their components, but too much weight on top can disturb the balance of the robot in the center. I have devised a solution to this problem. The robot should be created in two halves with the help of a vacuum form, then when the shapes are cut out of the plastic, thin edges will be left, making it easy to glue both the halves of the robot together. They fit perfectly and look like the early sci-fi robots such as Robbie from Forbidden Planet.

3. RetroPie

This is a very plain robot, but its beauty is in its elegant simplicity. RetroPie belongs to RetroArch, which is a multi-system emulator being run on the Pi. Although geeks refer to this robot as a programming exercise, this robot is not as simple as it might look as it has the ability to run Super Nintendo ROMs. The designer of the robot was generous enough to create training manuals and has made a repository at Github, which includes a shell script to install all of the components run on this little device.

The Raspberry Pi has been a marvel of innovation in computer development. For the beginner, the numerous tutorials on the developer website and the list of YouTube videos with step-by-step information are invaluable tools to learn the now very accessible basics of programming and electronics.