9-DOF IMU Kit

Kit photo needed

We don't have a photo of the assembled kit yet. The image below shows a key part.

Key part: 10-DOF IMU sensor board

Wires a 9-axis motion sensor to a bare Pico and shows live numbers proving a robot can sense which way it is turning.

Source book: STEM Robots
Kit page: https://dmccreary.github.io/stem-robots/kits/9-dof-imu/
Printable one-pager: 9-dof-imu-one-pager.html

Features

• Uses the HMC5883L / QMC5883L Compass
• Uses the MPU6050
• Uses the MPU9250
• Uses the Raspberry Pi Pico RP2040

Benefits

• Free, open lessons: the STEM Robots textbook has the kit page, wiring, and MicroPython code.
• Classroom friendly: built on a solderless breadboard or no-solder connectors.
• Real-world data: students read sensors and turn measurements into decisions.
• Budget: about $15 (L3GD20/LSM303 module about \(7–\)9 on eBay, Pico $4, wires $1, USB cable $2).

Parts

• Raspberry Pi Pico ($4) — Microcontroller
• HMC5883L / QMC5883L Compass — Sensor
• MPU6050 — Sensor
• MPU9250 — Sensor
• 830-Point Breadboard ($1.10) — Breadboard
• Micro-USB Data Cable ($2.50) — Power and programming cable