Raspberry Pi add-on will help you build Lego Mindstorm robots

Using the Raspberry Pi to create robots is nothing new. But a new product called BrickPi seeks to make building Pi-based robots easier than ever with an add-on board and case that connect the Pi to Lego Mindstorm robot kits.

BrickPi is a Kickstarter project that has blown past its goal of $ 1,889 with more than $ 21,000 raised. The BrickPi add-on board “slides over your Raspberry Pi and connects, controls, and powers Mindstorm motors and sensors, and provides power to the Raspberry Pi.” The add-on board’s firmware is written in Arduino and the code is available online.

The second component of BrickPi is a case with holes that Lego pieces can snap into. Kickstarter contributions of $ 35 will get you the BrickPi itself, while $ 45 or more gets you the BrickPi and the case. Dexter Industries, the company making BrickPi, says deliveries will begin in August 2013.