Workshop approach
We offer a 5 day Arduino workshop. You can also register for the first 2 days, if you're beginner and want to play for yourself before you go into more advanced possibilities. Or you can register just for the last 3 days, if you have worked with Arduino before and are ready for more in-depth knowledge.
We will start with a 2-day basic Arduino workshop (11 | 12 June), for those who haven't worked with Arduino's before. We will work on basic USB Arduino, the lay-out of the board, how to connect hardware and some basic programming skills.
In the following workshop (13 | 14 | 15 June) we will deal with more advanced versions and uses, including wireless Bluetooth Arduino's and the programming possibilties with Pure Data. In these three days you will work on your own small prototype of a wireless Arduino application.
Trainers
Massimo Banzi's good friend and designer Ubi de Feo and Federico Villa, who works together with Massimo and is busy with the ethernet enabled Arduino.
Targetgroup
Artists, art students, computer scientists, hardware hackers, product developers, nerds, dancers - everyone is welcome. However, note that some technical affinity is required. Some experience in programming and electronics will come in useful, specifically in soldering and java, but is not strictly necessary.
What to bring?
If there is a specific sensor or actuator you would like to use during the workshop, we advise you to bring it yourself.
You'll have to bring your own laptop to do your coding, but if necessary we can provide you with one, but please let us know in time.
We advise you to download the Arduino software and have a look at it beforehand.
More information about Arduino and the software can be found on the Arduino website, click here.
Workshop Report
by Zara Roelse
The Arduino | BT workshop is all about experimenting with physical computing. According to participant Remco Wendt the strength of the workshop lies exactly in its hands-on approach: “ the basic skills you need for prototyping are relatively simple, which means you can get started straight away and experiment with different projects.”
A group of interesting designers, developers, students and artists came together for the second edition of the Arduino|BT workshop. Creative Developer Ubi de Feo and his assistant Federico Villa guided the participants through the technical process of learning to use the small physical computing platforms. The participants experimented with various programming possibilities and came up with new ideas for their own prototypes.
Three days into the workshop the group split into two groups so that each participant could continue at his or her own pace. During the first part of the workshop the participants took a look at basic USB Arduino’s while the second part of the workshop focused on wireless Bluetooth Arduino’s and learning about the programming possibilities with PureData. The more advanced group began to focus on their individual projects while the less advanced participants continued working on getting the hang of the basics of physical computing.
Some participants started the workshop with an idea they wanted to work out during the course of the workshop, others had no concrete idea in mind but came to research the possibilities of Arduino Bluetooth and how they could apply physical computing to their own future projects. New Media Artist Nicolas Marechal registered for the workshop because he is interested in ‘ design interaction’, how designs interact with each other and specifically wanted to explore communications between multiple Arduino Bluetooths and learn more about the relationship between Bluetooth and tilt sensors as seen in Wii for example.
Juin-Yi Huang did not have a concrete goal in mind when he signed up for the workshop but came up with a creative idea while working with the Arduino Bluetooth and started working on a prototype involving a human figure that shows emotions based on a sensor system.
At the end of the last day some participants left with a finished prototype in hand but most came out of the workshop with a set of technical skills and new knowledge that they can bring back and work with when they start using the techniques for their own work.
Art student Richtje Reinsma had no technical background and worried on the first day that the workshop would prove to be to technical for her but changed her mind once she started experimenting hands-on with the Arduino Bluetooth tools. She ended up staying the full 5 days.
Thank you to all whom made the second Arduino|BT workshop such a great success!
