the Arduino

In 2005, a group of programmers and teachers at Ivrea's Interaction Design Institute developed the Arduino platform in order to create a small and inexpensive tool that would help students "prototype interactions." That same year, the Interaction Design Institute closed as the result of a (short-sighted) decision by Telecom, which was its lead investor at the time. [1]

Arduino is a single-board microcontroller designed to make the process of using electronics in multidisciplinary projects more accessible. The hardware consists of a simple open source hardware board designed around an 8-bit Atmel AVR microcontroller, though a new model has been designed around a 32-bit Atmel ARM. The software consists of a standard programming language compiler and a boot loader that executes on the microcontroller. Arduino boards can be purchased pre-assembled or do-it-yourself kits. Hardware design information is available for those who would like to assemble an Arduino by hand. [2]

Since 2005, Arduino has travelled around the world, radically changing the way many designers approach their work and inviting "amateurs" to enter the world of electronics and programming. It is now commonplace to see students building working prototypes and "geeks" monitoring the humidity of their own homes, something that would not have been possible without the advent of this microprocessor and its support community. Today, all sorts of materials can be found online: from video tutorials, to pieces of existing code, all the way to technical drawings for printed circuit boards. [1] Go here, for a description of the Arduino production flow.

As stated above, Arduino is an open-source electronics prototyping platform based on flexible, easy-to-use hardware and software. It's intended for artists, designers, hobbyists, and anyone interested in creating interactive objects or environments. Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing.js – See relevant Metronome article here). Arduino projects can be stand-alone or they can communicate with software running on a computer (e.g. Flash, Processing, MaxMSP). The boards can be built by hand or purchased preassembled; the software can be downloaded for free. The hardware reference designs (CAD files) are available under an open-source license, you are free to adapt them to your needs. [3] The complete line-up of the Arduino family products can be seen here.

Arduino boards are also the heart of many frontline and innovative devices, such as the MakerBot Industries 3D printer (replicator). For more info go here.

[1] Ref. http://www.domusweb.it/en/design/a-visit-to-the-arduino-factories/

[2] Ref. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arduino

[3] Ref. http://www.arduino.cc/