Borderlands Raspberry Pi
Introduction: Borderlands Raspberry Pi
So I was in a game store one day and saw this Borderlands prop in the clearance section for $20 and couldn’t resist buying it. After about a week I thought to myself “I could totally gut it and cram a pi inside”. That’s when my adventure began to make a real life Borderlands Echo Device.
I went out and got an Adafruit display and started prototyping. I ended up getting the 3.2” display so it was easier to see and use with a stylus/finger. The 2.8” display just looked to small compared to the 3.2” when I was in the store. So this is technically a 1:1 scale prop with the exception that the screen is slightly larger.
I slowly prototyped when I had the time. At one point I was trying to keep the original lights and sounds but that wasn’t happening so I ripped them all out. Then I was thinking about having a speaker for the Pi. I probably could have made space for it but it probably would have drained the battery. Also I really didn’t need it to make sounds or anything although it is possible. Plus there’s also Bluetooth.
Although it’s kinda hard to gauge with the prototyping this should take about an hour to complete maybe two.
Supplies
Borderlands 3 Echo Device
from Chronicle Collectibles
Raspberry Pi
Micro SD card loaded with a Pi image
Adafruit PiTFT 320x240 3.2” display
Wireless USB keyboard with trackpad
(not necessary)
Cell phone power bank
2 short micro USB cords
Needle nose pliers (or Dremel)
Painters tape (not necessary)
Electrical tape
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
Crazy glue
Small container
Phillips head screwdriver
5/64th allen key
Vise (not necessary)
Step 1: Gather Up All Your Parts
I’m using a Raspberry Pi Model A+ for it’s square shape to give me a little more space to work with. It’s running the latest Pi OS along with the installer script for Adafruits Pi hat. All the info you need for the display is here but it really breaks it down at page 12.
While it’s not totally necessary since it’s a touch screen I’m using an Inland mini keyboard with trackpad for typing. You can find an OS that’s made just for touchscreens if you want.
It’s all powered by a cell phone power bank. I had a bunch laying around so I just picked one that fit nicely. You can use any kind that you can cram in there. The bigger the battery the less space you have to work with but it will stay powered longer.
Step 2: Disassemble
First things first. Make sure you have a small container for all the screws. 769
It can turn into a real mess real quick. Keep them altogether. It doesn’t matter what it is. I’m using an Easter egg because that was the first thing I saw laying around when I was ready to start.
There are a total of 6 allen screws. The 3 on the front and 2 on the back of the rubber piece need to be taken out with a 5/64th allen key. Then there’s one allen screw in the middle of the door for the batteries. It’s a dummy screw that doesn’t need to come out. It’s just there for aesthetics.
There’s one phillips head screw to open the door for the batteries. Then there’s 2 more phillips head screws holding the 2 halves of the body together.
The black rubber pieces on the top and bottom are glued in place. Gently pull them off. I’m not to concerned about glueing them back because the allen screws will hold everything in place. Also I want to be able to take it apart easily if I want to work on it in the future. Lift the top rubber piece up gently. It’s glued in but snaps right back into place. Now lastly pry apart the two halves of the body from the right side. Congratulations you made it inside!
Step 3: Gut and Glue
Once your inside there are 2 small circuit boards with wiring that need to be torn out. Then there’s a rectangular piece of white plastic where the display goes. Tear that out.
Now some of that plastic inside needs to be taken away to make space for all the electronics. You can use a Dremel to remove the plastic inside if you want. 320