You've probably heard lots about Arduino. But if you don't know what it is, or how you can use it to do all sorts of cool things, then this fun and easy workshop is for you. As an example project, we'll be creating a TV-B-Gone remote control out of an Arduino you can take home with you.
(This is one of many cool things happening throughout the Orlando Mini Maker Faire!)
This workshop will be given at: Orlando Mini Maker Faire on 5/26/2012 at 2:00 PM
Limited to the first 30 people to sign up -- this will fill up quickly!
Arduino is an amazingly powerful tool that is very simple to learn to use. It was designed so that artists and non-geeks can start from nothing, and make something cool happen in less than 90 minutes. Yet, it is powerful enough so that uber-geeks can use it for their projects as well.
This workshop is easy enough for total newbies to learn all you need to know to get going on an Arduino.
Taught by special guest Mitch Altman. Participants will make their own Arduino clone, and set it up on solderless breadboards to make their own TV-B-Gone remote control to turn off TVs in public places -- a fun way to learn Arduino (and electronics) basics. Bring your laptop, if you can.
Big thanks to Ken Shirriff, who came up with the original TV-B-Gone for Arduino.
- Intro to Arduino
- Very short lesson to learn everything you need to know about electronics!
- Then we will start by learning to solder. Don't let this scare you! I've taught well over 35,000 people to solder, most of whom have never made anything before in their lives. It is actually a very easy skill to learn. It is also very useful.
- Then we will each make our own Arduino clone from a kit made by Ladyada: BoArduino.
- Now that we each have our own Arduino, we will set up the free and open-source software on our laptops (if you bring one) -- Windows, MacOS, or Linux are all fine!
- And then its time to make something and learn how easy it is to use Aruino! I'll (very easily!) show you how to read schematic diagrams, and you'll put together your own TV-B-Gone remote control using your BoArduino. We will use a solderless breadboard. These are really useful, and provide a fast, and very easy way to put circuits together without needing to solder..
- Target practice!
When & Where
FamiLAB is Orlando's Community Lab aka Hackerspace aka Makerspace. Following the philosophies of the worldwide hackerspace movement, FamiLAB’s mission to be a community that fosters learning and creativity through hands-on projects, collaboration, and the sharing of skills & tools to improve ourselves and enrich the world around us. These physical and virtual spaces contain the tools, materials, and expertise that rapidly accelerate learning.