Starter kits
Six curated kits from a $50 microcontroller starter to a full FPV drone and AI vision lab, each linked to the missions it unlocks.
Microcontroller starter
Learn electronics and MicroPython for under $50.
- Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W~$8Buy on Amazon ↗
- Electronics starter kit (breadboard, LEDs, resistors, wires)~$20Buy on Amazon ↗
- Digital multimeter~$20Buy on Amazon ↗
Unlocks: Microcontrollers: MicroPython on the Raspberry Pi Pico 2 W, Automatic Plant Watering with Raspberry Pi Pico, Line-Following Robot with Raspberry Pi Pico
Raspberry Pi explorer
Everything for Academy Ranks 1 and 2.
- Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB)~$80Buy on Amazon ↗
- 27W USB-C power supply for Pi 5~$12Buy on Amazon ↗
- microSD card 64GB (A2)~$10Buy on Amazon ↗
- Pi 5 case + active cooler~$15Buy on Amazon ↗
- Electronics starter kit (breadboard, LEDs, resistors, wires)~$20Buy on Amazon ↗
Unlocks: Install Raspberry Pi OS with Raspberry Pi Imager, Python + GPIO: Blink an LED and Read a Button, Pi-hole: Block Ads and Trackers on Your Whole Network
Robot builder
Wheels, sensors and motors for your first autonomous robot.
- Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4GB)~$60Buy on Amazon ↗
- 15W USB-C power supply for Pi 4~$9Buy on Amazon ↗
- microSD card 64GB (A2)~$10Buy on Amazon ↗
- 4WD robot car chassis kit~$25Buy on Amazon ↗
- TB6612FNG dual motor driver~$8Buy on Amazon ↗
- HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensor (5 pack)~$9Buy on Amazon ↗
- 18650 cells + holder (2S)~$20Buy on Amazon ↗
- 5V 3A UBEC / buck converter~$8Buy on Amazon ↗
- SG90 micro servos (4 pack)~$10Buy on Amazon ↗
Unlocks: Obstacle-Avoiding Robot with Raspberry Pi, PWM, Motors and Servos: Make Things Move, 6-Axis Robotic Arm Controlled by Raspberry Pi
Smart home commander
Home Assistant brain plus your first ESPHome sensor.
- Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB)~$80Buy on Amazon ↗
- 27W USB-C power supply for Pi 5~$12Buy on Amazon ↗
- M.2 NVMe HAT + 256GB SSD~$45Buy on Amazon ↗
- Pi 5 case + active cooler~$15Buy on Amazon ↗
- ESP32-S3 dev board~$12Buy on Amazon ↗
- BME280 temp/humidity/pressure sensor~$9Buy on Amazon ↗
- PIR motion sensor (3 pack)~$8Buy on Amazon ↗
Unlocks: Home Assistant on Raspberry Pi 5: Your Smart Home Brain, ESPHome Room Sensor: Temperature, Humidity and Motion, Private Voice Assistant That Runs in Your House
FPV drone pilot
A complete 5-inch quad build (goggles not included).
- 5-inch FPV quad frame~$30Buy on Amazon ↗
- 2207 brushless motors (4 pack)~$60Buy on Amazon ↗
- Flight controller + 4-in-1 ESC stack (ArduPilot/Betaflight)~$75Buy on Amazon ↗
- 5-inch propellers (multi-pack)~$10Buy on Amazon ↗
- ExpressLRS radio transmitter~$90Buy on Amazon ↗
- ExpressLRS receiver~$15Buy on Amazon ↗
- 4S 14.8V LiPo battery (1500mAh)~$30Buy on Amazon ↗
- Smart LiPo balance charger~$40Buy on Amazon ↗
- LiPo fire-safe bag~$10Buy on Amazon ↗
- Smoke stopper (first power-up protector)~$8Buy on Amazon ↗
- Soldering iron kit~$25Buy on Amazon ↗
Unlocks: Build Your First 5-Inch FPV Drone, Power Systems: Batteries, Regulators and LiPo Safety, Soldering Basics: Headers, Wires and Clean Joints
AI vision lab
Real-time object detection and local AI.
- Raspberry Pi 5 (8GB)~$80Buy on Amazon ↗
- 27W USB-C power supply for Pi 5~$12Buy on Amazon ↗
- Pi 5 case + active cooler~$15Buy on Amazon ↗
- Raspberry Pi AI HAT+ (Hailo)~$75Buy on Amazon ↗
- Raspberry Pi Camera Module 3~$25Buy on Amazon ↗
- Pi 5 camera cable (22-pin to 15-pin)~$5Buy on Amazon ↗
- M.2 NVMe HAT + 256GB SSD~$45Buy on Amazon ↗
Unlocks: Computer Vision with OpenCV and Picamera2, Real-Time Object Detection with the Raspberry Pi AI HAT+, Run a Local AI Chatbot on Raspberry Pi 5 with Ollama
Prices are approximate. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.