Python Playground, 2nd Edition: Geeky Projects for the Curious Programmer

Put the fun back in Python programming and build your skills as you create 3D simulations and graphics, speech-recognition machine-learning systems, IoT devices, and more.

The fully updated 2nd edition is here, now with 5 brand-new projects!

Harness the power of Python as you turn code into tangible creations with Python Playground, a collection of 15 inventive projects that will expand your programming horizons, spark your curiosity, and elevate your coding skills.

Go beyond the basics as you write programs to generate art and music, simulate real-world phenomena, and interact with hardware, all through the use of Python and common libraries such as numpy, matplotlib, and Pillow.

As you work through the book’s projects, you will:

• Craft intricate Spirograph-like designs with parametric equations and the turtle module
• Generate music by synthesizing plucked string sounds
• Transform everyday images into ASCII art, photomosaics, and eye-popping autostereograms
• Design engaging cellular automata and flocking simulations
• Explore the realm of 3D graphics, from basic shape rendering to visualizing MRI scan data
• Build a Raspberry Pi–powered laser show that dances along with music

New to this edition: We’ve expanded your playground with five new projects: you’ll draw fractals, bring Conway’s Game of Life into 3D space, and use a Raspberry Pi and Python to create a musical instrument, an IoT garden monitor, and even a machine learning–driven speech recognition system.

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just getting started, you’ll find Python Playground to be a great way to learn, experiment with, and master this versatile programming language.

Covers Python 3.x

Mahesh Venkitachalam is a consultant who works in the areas of 3D computer graphics and embedded systems. He has over two decades of programming experience, and is the founder of Electronut Labs, a consulting firm known for building interesting open source hardware.