A Raspberry Pi Pico W driving a Unicorn HAT HD RGB LED matrix. Started as a thing that displayed animations and whatever seemed like a good idea at 11pm. Turning into a genuinely useful desk fixture.
The Unicorn HAT HD is a 16×16 RGB LED matrix from Pimoroni — small, bright, surprisingly capable. The Pico W handles the logic and wireless connectivity. There’s a speaker for audio alerts, physical buttons for interaction, and a rotary dial for input. The case is designed, printed, and needs finishing.
Working baseline is running on the device. Same situation as the freebusy display — code lives on the Pico, needs extracting and committing before anything else changes. The 3D printed case needs sanding, finishing (UV resin if needed), and final component fitment.
Medication / pill reminder — configurable times, visual alert on the matrix, audio alert via the speaker. High priority. The kind of thing that actually gets used daily once it’s built.
Desk clock — clean clock display as the default screen. Date and time, configurable style. Simple but the thing you look at most.
Home Assistant integration — link the display to the HA instance for notifications and status. Ties into the broader home automation setup — the solar/battery inverter is already in HA, smart switches coming, floorplan UI in progress.
Instagram follower display — pull follower count or notifications and show on the matrix. Lower priority, but pleasing in a slightly vain way.
Raspberry Pi Pico W, MicroPython, Pimoroni Unicorn HAT HD (16×16 RGB LED matrix). Speaker for audio. Physical buttons and rotary dial for input. Case designed in Fusion 360, printed, finishing in progress.