PiShow Is an Echo Show-Like Build that Substitutes Creativity for a Workshop

We have to admit, aesthetics play a big part in a lot of the projects we feature here at Hackster. A nicely designed and fabricated enclosure goes a long way, and unfortunately that usually requires expensive tools like a 3D printer or laser cutter. Imgurian Anonteapot didn’t have anything like that, but as his PiShow project proves, sometimes creativity is more valuable than fancy tools.

Anonteapot was inspired by Amazon’s Echo Show, and decided to build his own on a Raspberry Pi. Electronically speaking, it’s similar to many other Raspberry Pi-based DIY Echos. There is a Raspberry Pi 3, a small touchscreen, and a power supply—the usual.

But, the enclosure is what makes it stand out, particularly because Anonteapot had no real tools to speak of. Starting with a sheet of MDF, he used a hobby knife to gradually cutout a hole for the touchscreen. That was attached to the adjoining panels with simple metal brackets that were bent to the proper angle, and a back panel with hinges for accessing the Raspberry Pi.

The side panels aren’t structural at all, but they do have a fairly complex shape. So, Anonteapot just cut those from plain old cardboard. The electronic components were then glued in place, and the whole thing was covered in jersey-knit for a nice, smooth finish. The final result just goes to show that making is more about thinking outside of the box than having access to nice tools.