Smart mirror

For this project, I repurposed an old laptop display to create a smart mirror powered by a Raspberry Pi. The mirror displays real-time information such as weather updates, time, and news, providing a functional and interactive addition to my workspace.

something went wrong, you shouldn't see this

Story behind project

I first came up with the idea to build a smart mirror during my freshman year of college. I’d just gotten my hands on a Raspberry Pi, and all that was left was to construct the mirror and its frame. The problem was, every online tutorial I found used desktop monitors, which needed a thick, custom-built wooden frame to encase it—something that required machining. Since I had no clue how to machine a wooden frame, that approach wasn’t going to work, and I had to shelve the project for a bit.

Then, the summer after my freshman year, things changed. My mom bought a new laptop, and I noticed how slim the display was on her old one. That’s when it clicked: instead of wrestling with a clunky monitor, I could extract just the display from the old laptop and slip it into a picture frame. I bought a frame from a local crafts store, ordered the rest of the components online, and put together my own custom smart mirror. Back then, I hadn’t come across any other smart mirrors designed to be this thin and compact—small enough to sit neatly on a desk.

Parts listed

something went wrong, you shouldn't see this something went wrong, you shouldn't see this something went wrong, you shouldn't see this something went wrong, you shouldn't see this

Here is the back of the display controller if you want to buy yourself one.

something went wrong, you shouldn't see this