ardu

Arduino is an open-source electronics platform used for building and prototyping interactive objects and environments. It consists of a family of small, easy-to-use microcontroller boards and a software development environment. Boards provide digital and analog I/O pins, USB connectivity, and a power supply, enabling beginners and professionals to create devices that sense and control the physical world. The platform is designed to be inexpensive, cross-platform, and accessible to non-specialists, while remaining flexible enough for advanced projects.

The project began in Ivrea, Italy, in 2005, with the aim of making electronics more approachable for students. The name Arduino reportedly derives from a medieval Italian king and a local bar where early collaborators met. Since its inception, Arduino has grown into a large open-source ecosystem, with many board variants such as Uno, Mega, Nano, and Leonardo, as well as a wide range of shields and add-ons that extend functionality.

Arduino boards are typically programmed in the Arduino Integrated Development Environment (IDE), which uses a simplified version of C/C++ and a Wiring-inspired language. Sketches are uploaded to the board over USB via a bootloader, with the microcontroller executing the program in a continuous loop. Over the years, Arduino has become a staple in education, hobbyist communities, art installations, robotics, and Internet of Things projects, thanks to its low cost, extensive documentation, and active community.