We knew it was going to happen. In one way or another, Pokémon GO and the Raspberry Pi had to cross paths to create something new, and if we for a moment consider the huge storm that formed around Pokémon tracking, why not create a dedicated detector? All you need is a Raspberry Pi Zero, a small WiFi module, an external battery, three LEDs, a resistor, and a piece of Python code.
If there is one element above all that keeps players of Pokémon GO and Niantic in conflict, it is the possibility of tracking Pokémon precisely. One thing is to exploit (and wreck) the game's mechanics using a bot that captures dozens of Pokémon per minute, but something completely different is to get the most efficiency from our walks and outings. This situation is supposed to be resolved by the Pokémon GO Plus accessory, which is still absent, and its Bluetooth link with the smartphone might 'help' drain the battery faster. Online Pokémon tracking maps became very popular, however, Niantic is doing everything possible to interrupt their operation. A few days ago a new alternative emerged, but instead of a site or an app, what we need is a Raspberry Pi.
Yes, just as you see. The Adafruit portal published a tutorial to transform a Raspberry Pi Zero into a dedicated Pokémon detector. Preparing the Pi Zero requires a fair amount of work, since we need to load Raspbian Jessie Lite, obtain unofficial access to the Niantic API, add Python, install dependencies, add the latest Niantic encryption key, and a long etcetera. On the other hand, the hardware is the simplest part: three LEDs with a common ground using a 220 Ohm resistor, connections to GPIO pins 17, 22 and 27, a WiFi module compatible with a micro USB adapter, and a power source (in theory the project is not portable, but there are many external batteries that can power a Pi Zero). The three LEDs are to indicate the type of nearby Pokémon: common, rare, or legendary (the third LED is useless at the moment because of the zero catch rate of legendary Pokémon).
Needless to say, the Pokémon detector goes against the terms of use established by Niantic, and with the arrival of 'perma-bans', the tutorial warns two things: create a secondary account to experiment with it, and don't be surprised if the detector stops working. The rest of the tutorial emphasizes 3D printing a case, although that's not exactly mandatory. That's the point where the user has the most flexibility.
