Create your own radio with Android Auto with the help of a Raspberry Pi

Create your own radio with Android Auto

Projects with Raspberry Pi will never cease to amaze us and this user decided to make his own infotainment system for his car using a Raspberry Pi 4 . The result, in addition to being quite complex, ended up being more expensive than any other solution on the market with Android Auto , however, what matters is personal satisfaction, right?

How to create your own Android Auto

The secret of this project lies in the use of OpenAuto Pro software, an application designed for Raspberry Pi that transforms the small development board into an infotainment system for your vehicle. All you need is a touch screen connected to the Raspberry to be able to control the functions and navigate the menus, so anyone could assemble your system, however, the tricky part of the job is in the integration with the car, and that is what DB Tech has explained in his video.

Among the many components he has needed a transformer to power the plate with the vehicle’s electrical outlet, several connection cables and a microphone for voice commands and calls. In the end, the final budget for the entire project reached $ 427, an amount that seems especially high for the performance it offers.

Among the many components he has needed a transformer to power the plate with the vehicle’s electrical outlet, several connection cables and a microphone for voice commands and calls. In the end, the final budget for the entire project reached $ 427, an amount that seems especially high for the performance it offers.

Don’t expect much

As we can see in the video, the response of the screen and the menus is not something that attracts special attention. We are talking about a very entertaining project that will appeal to those who like to fiddle with menus and thousands of settings, but it will not be the ideal solution for those who seek ease and functionality when keeping their hands on the wheel.

The software is priced at $ 30 for the indefinite license, and it is enough to install it on a microSD to start working on your Raspberry, so the installation of the software is not extremely complex. The problem comes with the integration of the hardware, since it is necessary to manufacture a base with 3D printing so that everything is perfectly (although you could fix some type of homemade base yourself).

What other proposals can we find in the market?

This Raspberry home project requires many accessories for everything to work perfectly, and to install something as basic for some as a rear camera, we would also need to purchase a USB video recorder. For that reason, we believe that the ideal solution is to acquire one of the many models that exist in the market, since for just over 100 euros we could enjoy a complete solution with a screen of up to 10 inches if you wish.