If you are interested in working with Arduino systems, here are six fun projects to help you get started.
Magic Crystal Mood Ball
This "magic" glowing orb that emulates a giant mood ring serves no real functional purpose. It doesn't open your garage door or set your car alarm or anything like that. It just changes color. However, what it will do is familiarize you with Arduino components and coding language. It also requires very few parts and only a few steps, which makes it a perfect choice for your first Arduino-based project.Tweet-a-Pot
This rather genius little design allows you to send a message to a coffee maker via Twitter, instructing the machine to make your coffee. You found out at the end of an exhausting day that you have to go home and pull an all-nighter? One simple message and you have a fresh pot of coffee waiting for you when you walk in the door.
This is a good early project to work on. Once you are familiar with the steps and more familiar with Arduino, there are hundreds of other projects that could be adapted using the same basic idea. If your office desktop takes a long time to start up in the morning, you could message it to switch on before you got there or lights and heating could be switched on at home.
Spatialized Umbrella
Need a more interesting flashlight, that warns you if you're about to smack your head into something and also keeps your head dry on a rainy day? I realise that’s probably not a question that’s ever been asked before but the internet provides and someone’s answered the question anyway. I really don’t know why I find this compelling but it has flashing lights and things…
Anyway… This LED umbrella tutorial is just what you are looking for. In addition to its undeniable functionality (it still works as an umbrella), you also have the look of utter confusion on people’s faces as your umbrella lights up like a lightning storm because they got too close.
On a more technical note, this project involved the integration of a number of sensors and relays and needs a good soldering job. Any mobile or wearables project needs as strong a join as you can provide, they are going to get moved and shaken about and any weak points will be exposed.
Although there is usually flux in any solder you buy, some of the more common soldering accessorieslike a flux pen will help the solder flow better and will (hopefully) help you get a better connection.
Botanicalls Kit
If you love plants, but have a thumb color that matches the rest of you, this plant-saving project might be for you. There is even a version that works with Twitter. This build allows your plant to let you know what it needs, when it needs it.Once the soil becomes dry, you will receive an alert asking for water. You will receive a follow-up alert once the plant has been watered, letting you know if you gave it an appropriate amount of water or not.
Trashcan Android
If you are looking for something a little more complex and a lot more fun, this Android project will allow you a lot more room for creativity. What self-respecting geek doesn't want his or her own robot to control?
Once you get the hang of working with Arduino, this little robo-buddy can be enhanced and modified easily to suit your whims and wishes as you add or remove components at will. Of course, because of the subject matter, this might be one where iPhone fans need not apply.
CD Burner
This is more of an intermediate project and it only has one real application, but it is a doozy. This disc device allows you to burn multiple CDs without actually having to be present or physically change out the discs. It can be modified to do the same for DVDs.
Despite the current fad for sharing online files in the cloud, there are still lots of applications for bulk duplication of CD’s or DVD which don’t involve piracy. However, the job doesn’t need to tie up your main computer for hours and the ability to add more burners quickly means that it is a much more efficient way of doing things.
Arduino micro-controllers, along with some copper wire strippers and a soldering iron, allow you to create electronics you might previously have thought beyond your capabilities.
Faizan Ahmad About the Author:
This article is posted by Faizan who is the Author and Founder of TechSenser. He is a Professional Blogger from India and a passionate writer about Technology, Gadgets, How-to-Guides, etc. You can connect him on Google+.