Hooray! I got my first Arduino. It seems like a necessary step on the long path to becoming a true power-nerd.
“So what is this thing that gets nerds so excited?” you might be wondering. Well, chances are you are one if your reading my blog, but I will explain for the less fortunate. An Arduino is an open source circuit board created by a sister project of Processing. The board has a small micro controller (computer) and a number of input/output pins. The chip can be programmed with a language very similar to processing, and any sort of hardware can be wired to the board. The board connects to a computer via usb for programming and power, and can also be powered from a more portable source.
I’ve been programming for a little while now in Processing and the Arduino was easy to grasp after a quick read through the function reference. After the chip has been programmed it can also interact with Processing applications through a usb port.
There will certainly be a learning period. I havn’t done much circuitry before, but I have a few projects in mind and hopefully soon will have some things to show. I am hoping this will be a means for me to extend the work I’ve been doing into the physical world, creating new interfaces or autonomous works.
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