Raspberry Pi Enthusiast Creates Coronavirus Live Global Tracker Display

There are so many things that can be done with a little spare time and a Raspberry Pi that it boggles the mind how versatile the tiny single board computer can be. This all-in-one mini computer can be made to do just about anything builders can dream up. One of the more recent projects we've seen using the Pi turned up on Reddit from a person called jul-bruegger who combined the Raspberry Pi Zero with some maker know-how, a little elbow grease and a small display to show a record of the number of coronavirus cases identified, in real-time.

The data on its display shows coronavirus cases in real-time, broken out by country and global statistics on different lines. The design has the Pi pull data directly from the Coronavirus Tracker API that is hosted on the Heroku app. Every 60 seconds, the data on the display is updated.

Data is grabbed from the internet using the integrated Wi-Fi connection in the developer board. For those who want to keep a close eye on the number of coronavirus cases in the world, the builder created a Github repository that has everything you would need to get started along with the Fritzing diagrams required to wire the display properly.

Also included is an install.sh that will install all the dependencies needed for the project. It doesn't sound like a very complicated project, but might give someone who is self-quarantined inside a house packed with toilet paper, hand sanitizer, and Clorox wipes something to do until the coronavirus outbreak runs its course. Anyone interested in re-creating the project can hit up the Github Repository and Amazon for a Raspberry Pi Zero build kit.

The coronavirus outbreak has hit the technology industry hard, with delayed production from China impacting multiple brands and products. The fear of spreading the virus has also led to the cancellation of major technology shows such as Mobile World Congress 2020 and E3 2020.