The 2023 RealVNC Raspberry Pi Prize Finalists

The selection process has not been easy, as the caliber of the entries received was outstanding! The creativity and ingenuity on display has been truly impressive, and, as you can see from the list of finalists, we received entries from all over the world.

Six finalists have been selected. Each finalist and their solution will be profiled in more detail on the RealVNC blog in the next six weeks before the winner and runners up are revealed on the 6th of November.

The finalists are (in no particular order):

Mikhail Grushinskiy (United States)

Entry name: Bareboat Necessities Marine OS for raspberry pi

Bareboat Necessities for Marine OS is a free and open-source Debian-based system which allows Raspberry Pi computers to operate essential software for boat operation and navigation. RealVNC Connect is installed by default and allows boat operators access to the system via a tablet or monitor.

Shohreh Kia (Germany)

Entry name: Conveyor Belt Monitoring

Additional Team Members: Prof. Benjamin Leiding, Prof. Daniel Goldmann, and Alexander Gaun

This solution uses a Raspberry Pi connected to a camera to process real-time visual data from conveyor belts in recycling centers. Material types on the belts are identified using custom-developed algorithms. RealVNC Connect allows operators to operate the machines remotely in a much safer and healthier environment.

Kevin McAleer (United Kingdom)

Entry name: Bubo-2T the Steampunk owl with AI

Bubo-2T is a 3D-printed steampunk owl that is powered by a Raspberry Pi. Cameras in Bubo’s eyes can detect hand signals. When it identifies the right signal, Bubo takes picture and posts the image on its Twitter/X and Instagram accounts. The operator can control Bubo, and see the images it takes, using a wrist mounted device, connected via RealVNC Connect.

Kunikatsu Takase (Japan)

Project name: Teleoperation of a Robotic Grabber for Personal Use via Internet

Additional Team Members: Hironobu Takahashi and Takashi Yoshimi

Designed to be used in hospitals or to provide patients care at home, the robotic grabber can grab objects, carry them to a patient’s bedside and release them.

A Raspberry Pi controls the grabber, which has three articulation points, two grabbing fingers, and a monitoring camera. RealVNC Connect enables operators to assist patients remotely, allowing the carers to help patients in quarantine to receive better care, or possibly reduce the need for some in-person visits to patients in receiving care at home.

Dan Nicholson (United Kingdom)

Entry name: Modular Companion Robot

Known as “Archie,” this robot can detect people, recognize faces, talk, and follow sound. Archie is powered by a Raspberry Pi computer. In addition to programming, RealVNC Connect is used to allow Archie’s “head” to communicate with the microcontrollers in his torso, that control his movement. Currently in its third version, Archie’s open-source, modular design has inspired a community of other roboticists to develop similar projects.

Zohar Stephan Shalev (Israel)

Project name: Guitarobot

Additional Team Member: Ilya Kuntsevich

Guitarobot is a guitar which can play songs it reads via a camera from guitar tablature sheet music (also known as “tabs”). A Raspberry Pi operates the thirty servo motors which play the guitar. The image processing and machine learning technology which reads the musical notation takes place on a laptop and is transferred to the Raspberry Pi using RealVNC Connect.

We would like to wish all finalists good luck and thank everyone who entered the 2023 RealVNC Raspberry Pi Prize. Look out for our announcement of the winner on November 6th!