I Built My Own Airtag-like Finder With This Raspberry Pi Alternative - Here's How

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

Follow ZDNET: Add america arsenic a preferred source on Google.

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

• Challenger UWB is powered by nan Raspberry Pi Pico 2040 chip.
• It allows for search accuracy down to 10cm.
• Low powerfulness depletion makes it cleanable for mobile applications.
  

Asset search is simply a large thing, whether that beryllium vehicles, tools, aliases moreover group moving astir a site, and while location are a number of off-the-shelf solutions disposable -- nan Apple AirTag being 1 that's very commonly utilized -- immoderate want to build their ain systems.

And you can. You conscionable request immoderate hardware, immoderate package know-how, and you're fresh to go. A spot of kit I've been experimenting pinch precocious is nan iLabs Challenger RP2040 UWB.

Also: The champion Raspberry Pi alternatives of 2025: Expert recommended

As nan sanction suggests, this committee is an Adafruit Feather format microcontroller committee equipped pinch a DWM3000 ultra-wideband (UWB) module and powered by nan Raspberry Pi Pico 2040 spot pinch 8MB of flash retention and 264KB of RAM.

Great for small-scale systems

These boards aren't inexpensive astatine about $65 to $75 each, but they're a awesome action for small-scale systems aliases thing bespoke that would different costs a batch of money (or conscionable not beryllium doable).

iLabs Challenger RP2040 UWB board.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET

The DWM3000 allows for entity search down to a precision of 10cm/4 inches. The module is compatible pinch Apple's U1 and U2 first- and second-generation ultra-wideband chips, and besides FiRa-compatible devices.

Also: A wireless bosom complaint show powered by Raspberry Pi and Wi-Fi - really it works

The committee is built to beryllium mobile, tin of being powered by a LiPo artillery pinch a JST connector aliases USB-C. Power depletion is ace debased astatine only 75mA erstwhile progressive and a minuscule 1.5 μA during slumber mode. This intends you tin person this moving disconnected a mini artillery for an extended play of time.

The committee is an fantabulous spot of kit. But it's conscionable a board.

You request to adhd nan smarts

That intends knowing really to grip Arduino code. A batch of nan codification you request is disposable from iLabs, and if Arduino is each caller to you, location are immoderate great primers to get you started.

Also: 7 useful things nan Flipper Zero tin do that still blows my mind - 2 years later

If you're utilized to getting elbows-deep into Raspberry Pi and Arduino projects, this will each beryllium a doddle for you. If you're a newbie and you're willing successful learning, this is simply a awesome task to descend your teeth into.

But if you're not willing successful coding and messing astir pinch batteries and imaginable soldering, you're champion sticking to off-the-shelf solutions -- either user finder tags for iOS aliases Android (or both) wherever nan costs is successful nan tens aliases hundreds of dollars, aliases go full-on pro and walk respective 100 to respective 1000 dollars.