Despite their similar sizes and affordable prices, microcontrollers and single-board computers have vastly different specifications and use cases. After all, MCUs are designed for circuitry, automation, and embedded system projects, while SBCs are all-purpose devices better suited for tasks that require more computational prowess.

But what if you could combine the two systems for your project-building needs? So, here are five cool ideas you can bring to life by combining your Arduino microcontroller with a Raspberry Pi SBC.

5 Smart chess board

At last, a solid use-case for AI

Ever wanted to build a smart chess board where your AI opponents could move the pieces automatically? Turns out, you can combine the automation aspects of an MCU with a chess engine running on the Raspberry Pi.

Designed by ace tinkerer Lewis (DIY Machines), this incredible project involves connecting an LED roll, LLC, tactile push buttons, and wiring blocks to an Arduino Nano. The board as well as the chess pieces can be 3D printed, while the Raspberry Pi handles the software aspect with the Stockfish engine, Adafruit packages, and certain libraries for the tiny SSD1306 display board.

4 Weather station for Home Assistant

Monitor your environmental parameters with MCUs and SBCs

Capable of connecting with a host of sensors, smart home devices, and IoT gadgets, Home Assistant is a great addition to any tinkerer’s workstation. Throw in some add-ons and extensions, and you can even use HASS with microcontroller projects.

For instance, you can build a weather station using an Arduino microcontroller and pair it with your Home Assistant dashboard. On the Arduino front, you can use a handful of jumper cables, a breadboard, and a BME 280 sensor to grab the readings. Meanwhile, a Raspberry Pi can serve as the core of Home Assistant, and you can use the MQTT/Serial Communication/MySensors add-ons to connect the HASS instance with the Arduino weather station.

3 Intelligent flying drone

That won’t bump into objects (or people) mid-flight

Thanks to their compatibility with a range of sensors, motors, and breakout boards, Arduinos and DIY robots go hand in hand. However, it’s difficult to add learning capabilities to a drone with just a microcontroller, which is why genius developer Imetomi decided to add a Raspberry Pi Zero W to the mix.

At its core, the quadcopter uses an Arduino-based APM flight controller connected to the drone chassis, sensors, and GPS modules. The Raspberry Pi Zero W, on the other hand, connects to an RPi camera module and has to be programmed to learn the positions of objects and follow them. Thereafter, you can pair the SBC to the flight controller using a bunch of serial cables. While it’s not exactly beginner-friendly, the intelligent flying drone is an amazing project if you’re interested in the field of robotics.

2 RFID Access Control

To add another layer of security to your home

Raspberry Pi-powered surveillance cameras are great for security-conscious tinkerers, but an RFID locking system is even better if you want to build a fun yet useful project. Developer rrussis82’s RFID Access Control project expands upon this idea with an Arduino Yun and a Raspberry Pi Zero W.

The project relies on the built-in Wi-Fi module of the Arduino Yun, and the microcontroller is connected to the sensors and RFID reader modules alongside an electronic strike to lock/unlock the door. The Raspberry Pi Zero stores the MySQL database for the RFID tags and supplies this information to the Arduino Yun by connecting to its Wi-Fi network. The SBC also hosts the PHP web server where you can manage the RFID credentials for your users.

1 Arcade gaming system

Perfect for gamers

Modern RPi SBCs are perfect for retro gaming setups, with the all-powerful Raspberry Pi 5 packing enough firepower to emulate everything from the GameCube and Wii to the PlayStation 1 and PlayStation Portable. Better yet, you can pair it with an Arduino to build a full-fledged arcade machine compatible with the game libraries of multiple consoles.

For the operating system, you’re free to choose between several emulation platforms – or even ditch them entirely and configure RetroArch directly on the Raspberry Pi OS. If you want to build a self-contained emulation machine, you’ll also need to pair a display to the RPi. Finally, you can build a makeshift gamepad with an Arduino model. In case that sounds complicated, tinkerer Arnov Sharma has a detailed tutorial to help you out with the project!

What are your favorite Raspberry Pi and Arduino projects?

If you’re looking for more cool things to build with your spare microcontrollers and SBCs, I’ve got a couple of other recommendations. For animal lovers who want their furry companions to get timely treats, you can build an automated pet feeder, where the Raspberry Pi handles the software aspects while the Arduino manages the physical motors and sensors. Likewise, you can even put together a coffee brewing machine using the two devices, though it will be a tad more difficult to pull off than a simple feeding machine.