If you want to transform your bedroom to the point where it wouldn’t look out of place on the Star Trek Enterprise, then you should build yourself a magic mirror. This is a mirror that not only displays your reflection — it can display anything from the date to the time to the weather to your personal schedule. Seriously, it’s a pretty cool piece of tech!
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In order to build your very own magic mirror, you’re going to need to follow the step-by-step guide below.
Source the tools that you will need
You’re going to need a number of different tools at your disposal to build your own magic mirror. Here’s a complete break-down of what you’re going to need:
A computer screen (that can easily be taken apart)
A mirror primarily used for observation
A Raspberry PI (very important)
A micro USB power cord
An 8GB SD-card
An adapter for your network
An HDMI-to-VGA adapter
A mouse
A keyboard
As well as all of this, you’re going to need a PCB design tool that allows you complete control over your designing process. Preferably in this instance, you should invest in a PCB tool such as CircuitStudio powered by Altium. Such a tool would allow you to integrate analog and digital simulation with ease — you need to be able to do both of those things if you want your magic mirror to work efficiently.
Work out the size of your project
Working out the size of your project, quite literally, means working out how big you want your magic mirror to be. It’s incredibly important to take size into account in this instance, as choosing a computer screen that does not fit your mirror will render the technology that you build all but redundant.
In order to avoid difficulties when it comes to framing and fitting the HDMI cord, you should choose a mirror that is equal to your monitor in length and width.
Install the Raspberry PI
The fun really begins once you install the Raspberry PI. Ideally, try to ensure that only one cord comes out of the bottom of your mirror’s case at this point, as that will stop your mirror from being overloaded with data and subsequently malfunctioning at a later date.
At this stage, you’re also going to have to install the Raspberry Pi’s official operating system, the Raspbian. By doing so, you will be able to tap into the useful PI boot sequence.
Connect to your Wi-Fi
To ensure that your magic mirror provides you with relevant information regarding the date, time, and weather, you need to connect it to your Wi-Fi. Fear not, there’s nothing especially complicated about doing this — it’s as easy as connecting your phone.
If you think that a magic mirror would look the part in your bedroom, then why not build your own? As you can see from the guide above, it’s not an overwhelmingly difficult task to undertake.
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If you do decide to build your own magic mirror, you’ll feel an overwhelming sense of pride whenever you see yourself reflected in it.
