The Art of Forecasting

Once upon a time, we were surrounded by interesting gadgets, like radios, weather stations, and calculators that each served their own specific purpose. As smartphones came on the scene and started taking over all of these functions, people began to realize that something was being lost. Sure, having all of these capabilities, and many more, in a tiny rectangular device in our pockets is very convenient, and few would want to give up those advantages. However, something must be said about the appearance of a stereo on a shelf, or the feeling of pressing physical buttons and toggling real sliders.

Peter Holderith has experienced this feeling that something is missing in today’s world, and was inspired to start a Kickstarter campaign to address it in a small way. Holderith has created a device that few of us can say we actually need, but many of us will want all the same. Called The Weather Orbs, this desktop gadget was designed for a simple purpose — to serve as a purpose-built weather station. The simple, triangular casing sports a trio of circular displays that can be configured to show all sorts of weather information, like up-to-date radar from the National Weather Service or live satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

A single Raspberry Pi Zero W drives the displays, each of which is accented by a magnifying lens to produce a pleasant retro-themed effect. The case is 3D-printed, however, a very high-quality industrial process called Multi Jet Fusion was leveraged to make it look as if it were not. The layer lines are virtually indiscernible, giving a very smooth, slick appearance. The case is accented by a metal faceplate for style, as well as a ring of programmable RGB LEDs to set the mood. A sheet of acrylic diffuses this light so you do not feel like you are staring at the sun.

Setting up The Weather Orbs looks like a snap. After it is plugged in, it comes online as a WiFi hotspot. By connecting to this hotspot, the user can access a web-based interface to supply their network credentials, configure the information that is shown on the displays, and control the LED lighting. A number of popular options come pre-configured on the device. While it is marketed as a weather station, the screens can technically display anything the user would like, from live views of national parks to traffic cameras or the news.

Rewards for funding the campaign start at $160, with the usual caveat that risks are always involved in Kickstarters, and there is a chance that you may never receive a reward. If everything does go according to plan, the first units are expected to start shipping out in February of 2024. All reward levels come with everything necessary to get a basic device up and running, with most parts arriving pre-programmed and assembled. In the future, additional kit options may be made available that do not include the Raspberry Pi Zero W for those that already have one on hand.

If you think The Weather Orbs might look good on your desk, take a look at the full details of the Kickstarter campaign to see if you would be interested in backing it.