Arduino

As the IoT and Smart Buildings group, we need to combine computational processes with digital hardware in an aesthetic, interactive and meaningful way. One of the processes we will explore in the pursuit of this is using Arduino kits.

What is Arduino?

Arduino is an open-source, low cost electronics platform. Arduino boards can be controlled by a code, making them extremely customisable. The inputs for the Arduino can be driven by the code or by sensors. The output is an electric output, meaning it can drive anything from an LED, to a motor, to uploading a tweet.

Why should it be included for this project?

Arduino boards will help improve our pavilion for a number of reasons. These include:

• They are easy to learn, increasing the likelihood that we will meet our deadlines
• Components are cheap. At around $50 per kit, this will be one of the more economic parts of the pavilion.
• There is a large community around Arduino. This means there are many forums and a lot of documentation available.
• Our coach (Justin) is an expert in Arduino. It would be wasteful not to make use of his knowledge.

How can we use Arduino for the pavilion?

Ideas will be developed throughout the semester. At this stage, we have been inspired by the following precedents:

• Immersion. From this, we can borrow the pulsing lights and rain simulation.
• Affinity. The interactivity of this project is something that can be adapted to Arduino.

Challenges

From our experiences so far, we will face a number of challenges when using Arduino boards. These challenges include:

• Coding — this is something that I struggle with. Throughout our degree, we have mostly experienced visual scripting and become comfortable with this process. Hard coding is an extra degree of difficulty.
• Wiring — Knowing how to physically connect components is another challenge. We all have limited experience with electronics.

We will do our best to figure issues out ourselves. The quickest way that these challenges can be overcome through quality communication with our coach. As Justin is highly experienced in Arduino, he will be our greatest weapon when facing these challenges.

In the coming weeks, we will continue to explore the hardware available to us and consider what components are most suitable to our group design. Arduino is an extremely flexible and accessible tool that will be integral to the success of our final output. It will allow the pavilion to be responsive to the stimulus of the users, improving the experiences of all.