The Arduino is a low cost microcontroller that was made for artists and designers to add interactivity to their projects. If you are interested the Arduino microcontroller but have no experience with it, buy an Arduino and a copy of Getting Starting with Arduino. If you know a little about Arduino and are looking for project ideas, get Arduino Workshop: A Hands-On Introduction with 65 Projects. You'll learn how to use the Arduino to control motors, interface with GPS an IR remote control, and connect to the Internet.
Sample projects:
- A digital thermometer that charts temperature changes on an LCD
- A GPS logger that records data from your travels, which can be displayed on Google Maps
- A handy tester that lets you check the voltage of any single-cell battery
- A keypad-controlled lock that requires a secret code to open
- An electronic version of the classic six-sided die
- A binary quiz game that challenges your number conversion skills
- A motorized remote control tank with collision detection to keep it from crashing
