Evelyn’s Magic Mirror project

Introduction

Hi, and welcome to my blog post on the project I’m doing! My goal is to create a working Raspberry Pi Magic Mirror, that can be used to inform someone of their schedule, and display useful information in a manner that is completely customizable to the user.

Overview

The purpose of this project is to create a personal assistant that can double as a mirror, and be used in my day-to-day life. By using a Raspberry Pi 4, the MagicMirror² program, and an old screen, I can construct a device that is capable of responding to verbal commands and display information on command.

Project Requirements

• Raspberry Pi 3+ (I used a 4)
• suitable Raspberry Pi power supply
• microSD card
• adapter to connect your microSD card with your usual computer
• portable slim 15.6″ HDMI USB-C-powered monitor
• USB-C power supply for the display
• Mini HDMI male to standard HDMI cable, 15cm (with 90 degree connector for display)
• 8 × M3 15mm + 6mm male-to-female thread nylon hexagon standoff (spacer) pillars
• 8 × M3 10mm Phillips round head nylon machine bolts, black
• 8 × M3 nylon machine nuts, black
• A3-sized piece of black card
• VHB double-sided heavy-duty foam tape
• A3-sized 2mm thick clear acrylic (plexiglass) sheet
• A3-sized 3mm thick two-way acrylic mirror sheet
• 50mm duct tape

Resources

• The MagicMirror² Website
  • https://magicmirror.builders/
• The tutorial I’m primarily using to set up the mirror
  • https://www.raspberrypi.com/tutorials/how-to-build-a-super-slim-smart-mirror/
• The hardware tutorial I’m referencing
  • https://michaelteeuw.nl/post/magic-mirror-part-iv-install-the-hardware/
• How to set up remote Pi access
  • https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/remote-access.html#ip-address
• How to set up a Raspberry Pi
  • https://www.raspberrypi.com/documentation/computers/getting-started.html#installing-the-operating-system

Conclusion

Working on this project has been pretty fun. I enjoyed setting up the Pi, and should have the hardware components assembled later this week. It was definitely interesting to set up the wireless connection for the Pi, and use the shell to communicate with it. I would recommend getting a screen for the project, as while you can just use one you have, it could be difficult.