Robotics developer Filip Kovacic Popov has launched a Raspberry Pi-powered machine designed to deliver the thrill of recent automotive computing to classic autos — the whole lot from the Volkswagen Beetle and Ford Bronco to the Porsche 911 and Lamborghini Gallardo.
“The caRPi laptop [is] the final word answer for restomods and old-timers,” Popov writes of the machine, which because the title implies is powered by a Raspberry Pi single-board laptop. “This highly effective laptop is designed that can assist you modernize and automate your basic automotive with ease.”
The caRPi goals to remodel a Raspberry Pi into an all-singing all-dancing automotive laptop for classic autos. (📷: Spacebug)
The center of the machine is a provider board which connects to a Raspberry Pi over its 40-pin general-purpose enter/output (GPIO) header. The concept is easy: the Raspberry Pi stands instead of the built-in digital management unit (ECU) present in trendy automobiles however lacking from classic autos — replicating mauch of its performance.
The caRPi consists of, Popov says, air suspension management, air-con management, relay management, oil stress monitoring, a knock sensor, and digital and analog inputs for exterior sensors — together with a pair of CAN buses. Along with monitoring and, the place doable, tweaking the engine efficiency, the machine also can double as an upgraded in-car leisure (ICE) system — and management in-vehicle lighting, too.
The caRPi is now obtainable to order on the Spacebug Tindie retailer at $895; the Raspberry Pi isn’t included; Popov claims the machine is simple to put in “whether or not you are a seasoned mechanic or simply beginning out.”