Chip Wired – Helping you make the most of your electronics projects

Microcontrollers are the heart of every electronics project. Whether you're a student or an electronics hobbyist, learning how to program and use a microcontroller would benefit you in many ways. But, is Arduino worth learning? Yes, Arduino is worth learning! Arduino is one of the most widely known microcontroller boards used by students, engineers, and hobbyists to create a multitude of different projects on robotics, home automation, and many others. It's usual for a person to wonder why Arduino is so popular. And this question has many different answers. In this article, I'll show you 6 reasons why you should learn Arduino. So, read on! If you're interested in how much programming knowledge is needed for Arduino, I wrote a whole guide on that here: chipwired.com/arduino-how-much-programming-knowledge/ 6 Reasons Arduino is Worth Learning One of the best ways to utilize your time in this newfound lockdown era is to learn a new skill, and if you’re someone who is into robotics and building new stuff using microcontrollers, then learning Arduino is your best bet! I guarantee you, the time you’ll spend on learning how to make your projects with Arduino will prove to be rewarding for you shortly. Here are 6 reasons why you should add Arduino to your skillset: 1. Arduino Projects Won’t Cost You an Arm and A Leg Building a robot sounds pretty cool yet expensive. But that’s not true at all! With Arduino, you don’t need to worry about spending a fortune on buying microcontroller boards. Arduino boards are generally available under $40, and you’ll be surprised to know that some of their versions are selling for as low as $20. Isn’t that too good to be true? You’re paying such a small amount of money for a microcontroller board, which you can program however you like. And if you use it the right way, your Arduino board can last you a lifetime! So, the low-priced range of Arduino boards is one of the main reasons why it is worth learning. Plus, you can do almost anything with an Arduino board at such a low price. 2. Arduino Is Easy to Program and Learn Yes, you read that right! You don’t need to be a software engineer to write an Arduino program. All you need to do is download the Arduino IDE for free, install it in your computer and start learning the basic commands and program structure through the built-in codes present in its library. You can start with the elementary LED blinking program and gradually build up your skills by executing all of the codes present in the Arduino library one by one. You can further dig into plenty of codes available on various websites on the internet. Once you know the basics of writing an Arduino program, then you can write your code according to your project. Arduino uses a combination of C and C++ programming, and these languages are the easiest to learn because of their easy-to-read commands. 3. Arduino Can Help You Build Cool Stuff Once you learn the basics of how to program an Arduino board and how to make its primary connections, you'll do wonders with this microcontroller. You’ll be only one step away from building cool stuff ranging from basic electronic sensor circuits to complex robotic circuits. Here are some exciting Arduino projects which you can build once you learn how Arduino works: Fingerprint Scanner You can build your low-budget fingerprint scanner with Arduino and use it as a security check at your main gate. Fingerprint Sensor With Arduino by robocraze.com With a fingerprint scanner like this, you can allow just your family members to enter the house by recording their fingerprints in the board's database. You can also use this fingerprint scanner outside your room’s door so that no one except you can enter. How cool is that?! Motion Detector Alarm System Another way to boost up your home’s security is to build a motion detector alarm system that goes off whenever it detects someone is standing in front of it. All you need is a keypad, an ultrasonic sensor, a buzzer, an LCD, and an Arduino board to build this cool project of course. Motion Detector Alarm By zishan123A Robotic Car A trendy project for beginners is an Arduino based robotic car. There can be two types – line following robot or an obstacle to avoiding robotic cars. "larryBot v0.6 completed" by Lucky Larry is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0 This project attracts many people because, after all, it’s exciting to build a robot that works its way around the house without any human help. You can also incorporate a brush or a mini broom beneath it and use it as a help to clean around the house. A perfect project to show it to your friends and brag about it! There are a lot of cool things that you can build using Arduino. A simple Google search, reading, and joining a couple of forums (or a course if you like more structure) will open up a world of Arduino projects for you to explore. So, stop waiting, start learning Arduino, and jump on the bandwagon of building amazing projects! 4. Earn Money by Helping Others Learning Arduino Another reason why Arduino is worth learning is that you can make money out of it! Learning Arduino and mastering it to a level at which you can start teaching it to others can help you earn some bucks while assisting other people to acquire an awesome skill. One way to teach is by designing an online course where your students can enroll themselves. You can do this by recording several videos and dividing them into a few classes or modules. Or joining learning platforms like Skillshare or Udemy. If you prefer a more personalized teaching style, then you can become an online coach for Arduino projects via video calls using apps like Skype or Zoom. You can make use of the screen share option to allow your students to look at your Arduino IDE as you type the code there. You can also offer Arduino tuitions to your neighbors and other people around you. 5. Learning Arduino Prepare Your Kids for the Future If you're a parent with the responsibility to nurture young minds, then Arduino is worth learning for you. You can learn Arduino to teach it to your kids because it will help them immensely when they grow up. After all, the future is all about automation and robotics. Learning how to program Arduino will help them grasp the concept of programming, and it'll also develop their interest in the field of robotics. They'll enjoy building new projects with Arduino and develop their skills in the process. 6. Learning Arduino You Can Solve Problems Inside Your House Arduino can prove to be your best friend when it comes to home automation hacks and DIY household projects. It can be of great help in solving daily household problems such as keeping an eye on the water tank, so it doesn’t overflow or switching off lights when no one is in the house, saving you money on monthly bills. You can also build a programmable thermostat using Arduino and let it control the temperature inside your house by controlling the fans and the air-conditioning system. If you're a fan of gardening, then Arduino can help you grow some greens as well. You can build an auto-irrigation system using Arduino and let it water your garden while you sit back and relax. Another way to use Arduino as a gardening tool is to build your very own robotic lawnmower. With a robotic lawnmower, you don’t need to put any effort into trimming the grass, all you need to do is watch the lawnmower do its job. As Arduino is open-source software, there's plenty of resources on the web for building such Arduino projects. It's just a matter of using the right components for each project. Final Thoughts As you can see, Arduino offers such a great variety of benefits. If you're interested in adding some adventure and gain some new, useful skills during these crazy times, then start learning Arduino is an excellent choice. YouTube is a great place to start learning about Arduino. If not, then you can enroll yourself in an online course. Whichever way you choose, make sure you learn the basics of programming an Arduino and how to connect other components to it. How do you plan to learn Arduino? What resources are you using at the moment, or if you’re a pro, what sources do you recommend to those just starting this exciting path? Let us know in the comments below! I wish you good luck in your new journey of learning Arduino!

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