Cloud computing brings the weather indoors

Nameless maker achieves desktop precipitation.

The Modern Inventor has taken desktop weather forecasting (or at least presentcasting) to a whole new level with this DIY storm glass. At its heart is a Raspberry Pi Zero W that communicates with the Weather Underground service to find out meteorological conditions anywhere in the world. The weather can then be recreated inside the tube. Rain travels via a centrifuge pump to the lid, from whence it falls.

But our favourite part is that it can make clouds using an ultrasonic diffuser/humidifier. By vibrating its diaphragm at a high frequency, water vapour condenses into droplets that fill the tube (a fancy water bottle) with a ghostly fog. It also uses a Neopixel LED ring and Speaker Bonnet to provide visual and audio feedback, and in theory can integrate with the Alexa Voice Service. It’s all held together with judicious amounts of hot glue and a few lines of Python. The total cost is around $80, and for instructions on how to make it, go to www.instructables.com/id/Storm-Glass-theWeather-Forecasting-Lamp-That-Simu.