# Raspberry Pi Foundation — What is a Raspberry Pi? *A companion page to [Workshop 1 Hardware and Networks](/dt7/Workshop%201%20Hardware%20and%20Networks). Inspiration video referenced in the Workshop 1 booklet as `way2.cc/caa`.* In Workshop 1 you booted a Raspberry Pi, plugged things into it, and probably typed your first terminal command. This video zooms out: what is the Pi for, who builds them, and *why is a credit-card-sized computer running everything from weather stations to the International Space Station*? The Foundation team gives you the official tour in about 4 minutes. After watching, you'll understand why a Pi is more than just "a small computer for kids" — and why hobbyists, researchers, and even NASA reach for one when they need a tiny computer that does real work. --- ## The Video {{Video|src=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXUjwk2-qx4}} About 4 minutes. The official Raspberry Pi Foundation overview — what the board is, what people build with it, and the educational mission behind the project. --- ## What to Watch For - **The variety of Pi models** — Pi 5, Pi 4, Pi Zero, Pi Pico. Same family, very different sizes and prices. The Zero is smaller than a stick of gum; the Pi 5 is a full Linux desktop machine. - **What "$35" means** — the original Pi was built so a school could buy one for the price of a textbook. Even the latest Pi 5 (8 GB) is under $100 AUD. Cheap is the whole point. - **Real projects** — weather stations, retro game consoles, robots, art installations, satellites. Look for the variety; a Pi isn't designed for one use case. - **The Foundation as a charity** — the Pi exists to teach computing, not to make money. That's why the docs, code, and tutorials are free. - **GPIO pins** — that 40-pin header at the top of the board is the difference between a Pi and a regular laptop. It's how the Pi connects to sensors, lights, motors, and the physical world. --- ## <i class="fas fa-lightbulb"></i> Have a Go ::: info **<i class="fas fa-pencil-alt"></i> Your turn!** Grab a pen and have a crack at these. ::: **<i class="fas fa-film"></i> Question** ① — Name three things people build with Raspberry Pis (from the video, or from your own knowledge after watching). **<i class="fas fa-microchip"></i> Question** ② — A regular laptop and a Raspberry Pi 5 both have a CPU, RAM, and storage. What does the Pi have that a laptop *doesn't* — and what can you do because of that? ::: tip ⚡ **Hint:** Look at the top edge of the Pi board. There are 40 metal things sticking up. ::: **<i class="fas fa-lightbulb"></i> Question** ③ — The Raspberry Pi Foundation is a charity. Their mission is to make computing accessible. Why do you think a tiny, cheap computer is a better way to teach kids about hardware than a full laptop? **<i class="fas fa-rocket"></i> Question** ④ — Pis are on the International Space Station running real experiments. If *you* sent a Pi to the ISS, what experiment would you run? (Be specific — what sensor would you attach, what would the Pi log, what would you learn?) --- See also: [Workshop 1 Hardware and Networks](/dt7/Workshop%201%20Hardware%20and%20Networks) · [Tom Scott - Fetch Execute Cycle](/dt7/Tom%20Scott%20-%20Fetch%20Execute%20Cycle) · [Crash Course - Binary](/dt7/Crash%20Course%20-%20Binary) · [Vox - Undersea Cables](/dt7/Vox%20-%20Undersea%20Cables) *Last updated: April 2026.* ← Back to [Year 7 Hub](/dt7/Year%207%20Hub)