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This project works with a Raspberry Pi, with a few different lighting options from Pimoroni:
I've made different versions of the code available for these lighting options. There are also many different light options you could use, so work with whatever you have, but you'll have to work out the code to use them yourself.
My first version of this project used the Pimoroni Mood Light, something I had lying around after being given one by a friend. This is a nice little kit that contains a Raspberry Pi Zero W, a Pimoroni unicorn pHAT with 55 programmable LEDs in a rectangle, some laser cut plastic to make a case that looks like a light, and various cables and headers. It has everything you need to create this project, save for an SD Card. You'll need one to run the code from.
One of the downsides to a kit like this is it involves the bane of my existence - a soldering iron...
The Pi Zero doesn't come with headers pre-soldered. The Unicorn pHAT also has headers that need to be soldered. If you don't have a soldering iron, nows the time to buy one and learn. Be warned, the headers are small and fiddly, so you may also need a magnifier to help you.
If you are new to soldering, some great videos to help you are from EEVblog:
Another option is to buy hammer headers for the Pi and Unicorn pHAT, no soldering required, just a hammer.
If you don't want to but the mood light kit, you can just buy a Unicorn pHAT and a Raspberry Pi. The Unicorn pHAT is a grid of 55 programmable LEDs that you can control from the Pi.
The Raspberry Pi Zero W is a perfect board for this, although they are hard to track down at the moment.
If you are getting a Pi Zero, it must be the Zero W with built-in WiFi, as you need internet connectivity to talk to Azure IoT Central.
If you use a Pi Zero, you will need headers, which you'll have to solder on, or if you don't like soldering you can use hammer headers, headers you hammer in! No soldering, but be careful not to break anything, so it's worth getting the set with the jig.
If you use a Pi 3/4 then there is no soldering to do!
The Unicorn pHAT needs soldering, but again you can use female hammer headers.
The Blinkt light is a smaller version of the Unicorn pHAT with 8 LEDs instead of 55. It also has headers built in, so no soldering. Combine with a Pi 3 or 4 and you have a solderless version of this kit!
In this step, you put together the hardware based around a Raspberry Pi. In the next step you will set up Azure IoT Central to control the device.