This E Ink enabled tarot card reader is designed to offer a glimpse into the future

June 2, 2023 By Sovan Mandal 1 Comment

There is no dearth of Raspberry Pi projects but here is one that compels us to sit up and take notice. For it deals with something that none has ventured into so far – mysticism. Echo-Lalia, an innovative maker and developer, has captivated us with their latest creation — a tarot card reader powered by the RP2040 board and featuring an E Ink display that conjures random tarot cards at the touch of a button.

As Tom's Hardware reported, the device uses random electromagnetic feedback for the selection of cards. This also applies to the corresponding images, text, while even eerie glitches are displayed. Echo-Lalia intentionally programmed these glitches to infuse a sense of "digital mysticism" into the experience. Thanks to the E Ink display, the chosen card remains visible until the device is powered off and a new card is summoned.

According to Echo-Lalia, this project marked several firsts for them as a maker and developer. It served as their introduction to microcontroller projects, 3D printing, and coding with MicroPython. The remarkable end result speaks volumes about the effort invested in this one of its kind endeavors.

Driving the tarot reader is the Waveshare RP2040-Plus board, boasting an impressive 4 MB flash memory compared to the standard Pico's 2 MB. The E Ink display measures 3.7 inches and comes in the form of the Waveshare Pico e-paper module. These components find their home within a custom 3D-printed enclosure, alongside a button, two switches, and a bone conduction transducer for audio. The device draws power from three AAA batteries.

Generously, Echo-Lalia has shared further insights into the project's code. A seed is created using data from the ADC pins, and the button is utilized to draw a card, while one switch toggles between two function modes. The other switch is dedicated to powering the unit on and off. When drawing a card, there is a 1 in 4 chance it will be reversed and a 1 in 20 chance it will manifest with a glitch effect.

Overall, this Raspberry Pi project showcases remarkable ingenuity, resulting in an impressive final product. To witness it in action, be sure to explore the original Reddit thread shared by Echo-Lalia.

With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.

Filed Under: E-Ink, Clearink, Plastic Logic and E-paper News