Chris Howd | Developer Content Planner, MS

Paul Pardi | AppPlat Content Manager, MS

Meet Chris Howd

Developer Content Planner, Microsoft
Developer, Technologist, Learning Content Planner
Responsible for customer facing client developer training: Windows
apps, Windows Phone apps, Xbox apps, Windows Desktop apps

Over 30 years of industry experience

US Department of Defense, Self Employed (R&D), Microsoft
Mechanical Engineer designing and programming robotic and
automated systems before joining Microsoft in 2000.
Developer, developer content planner, and robotics hobbyist.

Meet Paul Pardi | @paulpardi

Content Development Lead, Microsoft
Leads team of content developers focused on software development
technologies
Over 20 years experience as software developer and trainer

Software and content development professional

Managed Windows Store merchandising team for Windows 8
Managed team and wrote content for Internet Explorer
Technical trainer, teacher, and book author
Published Windows 8 app called Movie Notes

Course Topics
Programming Robotic Systems using Visual Studio
01 | Embedded Systems, Robotics, and this
MVA Training Series

05 | Integrating Advanced Sensors and

Shields

02 | Getting Started with Arduino

06 | Mapping Areas and Detecting Objects

03 | Creating Your First Arduino Robot

07 | Integrating Wireless Control and

Communication

04 | Controlling a Robotic Arm

08 | Looking Ahead

Setting Expectations
Target Audience
This Course: Developers and hobbyists who are interested
programming robots that use Arduino microcontroller boards.
This Series: Developers and hobbyists interested programming
embedded systems.

Suggested Prerequisites/Supporting Material

Basic programming skills in C++, C#, or JavaScript
Need to skill-up? Try these MVA Titles:
C# Fundamentals for Absolute Beginners
Programming in C# Jump Start
Twenty C# Questions Explained

Join the MVA Community!

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Check it out: http://aka.ms/mva

01 | Embedded Systems, Robotics, and

this MVA Training Series
Chris Howd | Developer Content Planner, MS
Paul Pardi | AppPlat Content Manager, MS

Module Overview
Embedded, IoT, and Robotics?
Microcontrollers and Other Hardware

Examples of Microcontroller Boards

Software Options

Typical Code Sample

The Robots Used in this Training
Demo Meet the Bots

Embedded, IoT, and Robotics?

Microsofts history with embedded systems
This MVA Course (introduction to programming robotic systems)

Next steps for this training series?

Internet of Things
.NET Micro Framework Projects
Windows Tablet Projects
More robotics?

Microcontrollers and Other Hardware

What are your hardware choices?
Controller and microcontroller options
Motors, sensors, and other hardware options

Where can you buy hardware for your projects?

How should you get started?

Examples of Microcontroller Boards

Software Options
Operating Systems
Programming languages

Architectures
Taking your first steps

Typical Code Sample

void loop()
{
if (robotInitialized == false) initializeRobot();
if (performDiagnosticsChecks == true)
{
if (armDiagnostics == true) testArmMovement();
if (wheelSpeedDiagnostics == true) testGearmotors();
if (sensorDiagnostics == true) testSensorPositioningAndReadings();
}
else if (intruderStopped == false)
{
// continue main program loop
}
}

The Robots Used in this Training

We will be exploring the development of 3 robots
We will include brief hardware discussions
We will spend most of our time focused on the code

Robot #1: Simple Autonomous MSBump-Bot

Robot #2: Semi-Aware MSGuard-Bot
Robot #3: Wirelessly Controlled MSSpider-Bot

DEMO
Meet the Bots

Review
This MVA course is the first in a planned series on embedded
systems
Future courses in this series will focus on .NET Micro Framework
projects and projects involving Windows tablets.
We plan to develop Internet of Things training that covers both
.NET Micro Framework and full .NET/WinRT apps.
You can vote for more training on robotics

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