# Ideas for embedded devices

To start with, you could easily make a self-sufficient, fully-functioning [personal computer](computers-hardware.md).

- It will often have to be [Linux](computers-os-unix.md), but you can also make it a Windows thin client to remotely access a separate, more powerful [Windows](computers-os-windows.md) computer.
- While it's a bit clunky, you can even make a smartphone with the right parts (e.g., [OURS project](https://github.com/evanman83/OURS-project/)).

## Hobby ideas

Direct use:

- Practice [PenTesting](computers-cysec-pentest.md)
- Record and stream [video](engineering-screen.md)
- Play [electronic games](fun-games-cs.md)

Passive consuming:

- Use and manage your entire media library in a media server
- Smart TV
- FM radio
- [FM transmitter](https://github.com/markondej/fm_transmitter)

Things you can make:

- A [robot](computers-robotics.md)
- Time-lapse camera
- Music box
- Wireless boombox
- Oscilloscope
- Streaming internet radio station
- Automatic plant waterer
- [Farm](plants.md) irrigation system
  - [GardenPi](https://projects-raspberry.com/gardenpi-powered-by-neptune/)
- Soundboard
- [E-ink home weather display](https://github.com/kimmobrunfeldt/eink-weather-display).

## Convenient improvements

Simple display indicator (e.g., meetings, opened, cleaned, etc.)

Motion detector or laser tripwire

Block ads across your home network ([called a Pi-hole](https://pi-hole.net/))

Wi-Fi bridge (e.g., make an old printer wireless)

Wi-Fi extender

Video doorbell

[Smart home](home-smart.md) manager (e.g., locks, climate control, lights)

- [Weather station](science-earth-weather.md) with collected weather data (e.g., temperature, humidity)

Air quality or atmospheric monitor

Altimeter

Voice-activated or gesture-controlled digital assistant

## Personal [risk management](safety-riskmgmt.md)

Motion-activated security video feed

Automotive backup camera

[Cloud](computers-distsys-cloud.md) synchronized files

[VPN](computers-cysec.md) server

Local Tor router

[Firewall](computers-cysec.md)

Private [password manager](encryption.md) hosting

[DNS server](computers-browser.md) hosting

[Facial-recognition or voice-recognition](computers-cysec-authentication.md) lockbox

## [Enterprise](computers-distsys-enterprise.md)-grade projects

[Database](database.md) hosting

[Virtual machine](computers-distsys-vm.md) hosting

[Machine learning algorithm](computers-ai-ml.md) trained to detect pretty much anything particular

Complete [web server](computers-sofware-webdev.md) hosting

Private phone server hosting

Personal email hosting

Tracking with RFID tags

## Enterprise-grade support projects

[Network monitor](https://github.com/geerlingguy/internet-pi)

Computer resource monitoring

Redundant [NAS](computers-distsys-cloud.md)