5 projects that combine a Raspberry Pi with Lego

Raspberry Pis and Lego are a match made in DIY heaven. While Raspberry Pi projects usually utilize 3D-printed components to protect the board from the elements, sometimes you can’t go wrong with the colorful blocks. So, here are a handful of projects that combine the two in a pleasing arrangement of DIY goodness.

Build your own storage

The piece that got me down this rabbit hole in the first place, this cool NAS project combined a drive, a Raspberry Pi, and a wall-mounted bracket made of Lego. Was it particularly professional-looking or sleek? Not really. Did it look great, and did the job get done anyway? Sure did. Plus, it made excellent use of Lego bricks and cut out the need to create something with new material.

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Constructing a Raspberry Pi project with an official Lego piece

Yes, they thought of this before we did

Okay, so this one isn’t really a “project” per se, but I don’t think I can write an article about Raspberry Pi and Lego coming together without drawing a spotlight on the official collaboration between the two. It’s called the Lego Maker Plate, and it lets you stick an SBC into your Lego projects without needing to perform some DIY. Raspberry Pi posted an article showing off the board, plus some more information on it:

The new, specially designed LEGO Maker Plate is the first LEGO element ever designed to connect to something that isn’t another piece of LEGO. It allows you to attach your Raspberry Pi to your LEGO creations, and it’s available with the SPIKE Prime Expansion Set (45681).

You can grab the Spike Prime Expansion Set for $156, and it looks to be a great way to introduce computing for kids.

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Driving around a Lego robot with a Raspberry Pi

Make whatever chariot you desire

Staying on the subject of an easy-to-make Lego-Pi hybrid, Andrew Oakley designed this cool Raspberry Pi Lego robot. He made it as a stepping stone for kids to learn about building and computing, but you can also give it a try as a fully-grown adult to dip a toe into the world of making robots.

Andrew’s website features a step-by-step guide on how to build both the Lego vehicle and the Raspberry Pi side, albeit I’m sure you can make an executive decision over the former and build whatever you want to trundle around your living room with. The guide also contains instructions to add sound, speech, and a camera, albeit they’re totally optional and you can skip them if you’re not feeling up to the task.

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Making your own Raspberry Pi case with Lego

Then you can stick it on any Lego build you like

Whenever I link to Instructables, it’s usually because I’m linking to a 3D printing project’s files so you can make one yourself. As such, seeing an Instructables post for a Lego Raspberry Pi Case is pretty surreal, given how the part that usually lists out the files and the schematics looks like a Lego construction manual.

But there’s a good reason for this; the Lego Raspberry Pi Case is essentially what it says on the tin. While Pi cases aren’t particularly expensive, building your own is a lot more fun and makes use of the Lego you have lying around. Then you can add it atop your Millennium Falcon build, because why not?

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Making a Rubix cube automatic solver

Outsource your puzzle solving

I’ve never actually solved a Rubix cube before. I know there is a logic to it, and you don’t just spin the axes around until they all magically add up, but I’ve never sat down, learned the underlying logic behind solving one, and then finally completed the challenge.

But you know what’s a lot cooler than solving a Rubix cube? Making something else that can solve a Rubix cube. The Instructables page for the Lego Technic Rubik’s Cube Machine details everything you need to know to combine the computational smarts of the Pi with the physical presence of the Lego to create a machine that solves any cube you throw at it. That way, you can watch it solve the cube, nodding to yourself and mumbling, “Yeah, I would have done that,” after every move. Maybe give it an unsolvable cube as a prank every so often.

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Low-tech meets high-tech

Lego and Raspberry Pis combining may seem odd at first, but they’re a match made in heaven. Hopefully, you’re now inspired to make your own colorful, high-tech projects.