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I’m building a Windows 10 robot this weekend. Thanks, Microsoft!

The robot kit and sensor kit Microsoft was giving out after one session at Build on April 30.

Image Credit: Jordan Novet/VentureBeat

Among all the news Microsoft announced at its Build developer conference this week, the tech giant released the free Windows 10 IoT Core Insider preview, giving makers a version of Windows 10 for small Internet-connected devices devices like the Raspberry Pi. And to kick things off right, after one session yesterday a couple of Microsoft employees gave out a small number of build-your-own-robot kits along with Raspberry Pi 2 kits that can run Windows 10.

I was able to pick up one of these kits. And now I have something fun to do this weekend: Build it. Thanks, Microsoft!

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The robot kit comes with the following gear:

  • A wooden robot frame
  • Two continuous rotation servos
  • Ball caster
  • Xbox 360 controller
  • Switch
  • Wires
  • Screws, nuts, bolts
  • Mini Windows-branded screwdriver tool
  • “Make. Invent. Do.” sticker and Pololu sticker

And this is what the sensor kit includes:

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  • Raspberry Pi 2 Model B
  • Micro SD card
  • Belkin USB-to-Ethernet adapter
  • HDMI cord
  • USB power adapter
  • Micro USB cord
  • Breadboard
  • Wires
  • Temperature, light, force sensors
  • Red, green, blue tricolor LED
  • Buttons
  • Resistors
  • SPI shift register
  • SPI 10-bit analog-to-digital converter
  • I2C port expander

Microsoft has provided instructions for operating the robot on Hackster. They’re also available on GitHub.

And here’s how it’s supposed to look after I’m done.

Above: The finished kit and the parts of the wooden robot frame.

Image Credit: GitHub

Here goes nothing….

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