In their mission “to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more,” Microsoft’s Azure Percept Development Kit (DK) intends to do just that. Offered as a single, end-to-end system from hardware to AI capabilities, Azure Percept DK is a comprehensive platform of hardware and services aiming to simplify the various ways customers can use Azure AI technologies on the edge—including Azure cloud offerings such as device management, AI model development and analytics. The new hardware platform is intended to be easy-to-use right out of the box without requiring advanced technical knowledge. Azure Percept DK integrates the industry standard 80/20 aluminum extrusion to provide flexibility in the development of new products while seamlessly fitting in with existing prototyping projects. To bring their vision to reality, Microsoft worked with Tactile to design the Azure Percept DK’s hardware to better streamline the setup, configuration, and connection of these smart devices with cloud-based AI models on the edge.