Scratch Build Raspberry Pi Competition: Lego Case UPDATE: no more wheels :(

[fdbh96]

Ok, so after seeing everyones designs, I realised I needed a case for my pi, other than the box it came in . After thinking about trying to make something with wood/acrylic I realised I didn't have a clue how to do it. So I found the big box of lego and got started.

One of the main problems I had was managing to fit the Pi in with the random pieces of lego I had at my disposal.

Here are some photos of the main idea, which just needs neatening up a bit.









One of the main concerns I have is that I might not have left room for it to breathe, but I'll test that tomorrow.

And thats about it so far, suggestions welcome

[mx0forever]

nice little build !

i would suggest:
useing some of the thinner lego pieces to close it in a bit more
using smooth top lego pieces in some places ( looks nicer )
having some really small fan for cooling
using more of the lego technical pieces with holes in them for ventilaition

[fdbh96]

Originally Posted by mx0forever

nice little build !

i would suggest:
useing some of the thinner lego pieces to close it in a bit more
using smooth top lego pieces in some places ( looks nicer )
having some really small fan for cooling
using more of the lego technical pieces with holes in them for ventilaition

Thanks

This is mainly just a prototype thing, in order to judge sizing and stuff. The problem Ive got is that the only lego Ive got is the stuff that I had when I was young (hence the wheels), and most of the blocks I have are really fat. However I did see some good thin pieces with ventilation holes in while I was rummaging around so Ill give that a go.

[The_Crapman]

Put a motor on it!

[Cheapskate]

We demand proper placement of the duck eyes!

[fdbh96]

Originally Posted by Cheapskate

We demand proper placement of the duck eyes!

Haha, Ive had a bit of a tidy up today, and Im getting closer to an all red colour scheme.

I had a look at putting motors on the wheels, but I think its probably beyond my practical and programming skills. That and the fact that the case would have to be a fair bit bigger to house the additional power supply, motors and breakout box.

[fdbh96]

Update: Had the baby cousin round at the weekend so finally made some progress on case

However, due to its use in the house as a media center the wheels weren't really working (it kept rolling away) so I got rid of them. However, its not all bad news , I managed to find enough ventilation pieces for one side, and some more red bricks for a bit of colour co-ordination.

Here are the new pics:






Current OS: Raspbmc with Frodo

[alpaca]

Maybe put the weels on a moving hinge, so you can 'park' it, with the weels off the ground, but still ride with it if the situation warrants it (for example a baby cousin). You shouldn't worry too much about the temperatures of the pi. That thing never even gets hot. Only warm. Lego and Pi can handle 'warm'.

I'm a bit sad to see the duck-eyes gone, too.

And can't you make the holes in the sides a bit smaller? or does the lego not permit that? It would make the case a bit sleeker, no?

Anyhow, mod on!

[fdbh96]

Originally Posted by alpaca

Maybe put the weels on a moving hinge, so you can 'park' it, with the weels off the ground, but still ride with it if the situation warrants it (for example a baby cousin). You shouldn't worry too much about the temperatures of the pi. That thing never even gets hot. Only warm. Lego and Pi can handle 'warm'.

I'm a bit sad to see the duck-eyes gone, too.

And can't you make the holes in the sides a bit smaller? or does the lego not permit that? It would make the case a bit sleeker, no?

Anyhow, mod on!

I took the top off mainly for access to the GPIO pins, as it was becoming a pain to take the top off.

The port holes are about as wide as they could be as I end up swapping the cables/sd card round a fair bit, so I need a bit of room to access them. However, when I get more settled with the pi in terms of projects, ill maybe close up the gaps a bit.

I like the idea of parking it, Ill just have to find something in the big box of lego for the job.