Arduino, Mindstorms and Phidgets at ProtoSpace

One of the more interesting developments in web technology at the moment is the move to so called transient technology: taking applications out of your laptop screen and making them part of pieces of hardware in your physical surroundings. We are moving towards an ‘internet of things’ where everyday objects are connected to the internet and can interact. Open source hardware like Arduino, or the robotics of Lego Mindstorms, and hardware building blocks like Phidgets allow you to experiment with how to connect sensors, actuators, interactive applications and internet-based information.

Last Friday ProtoSpace, the FabLab in Utrecht, organized a full day workshop to introduce Arduino, Mindstorms and Phidgets to participants, so that they can start their own experiments. I loved taking part. From creating a script to make a robot slalom around obstacles, to the simple pleasure of making a single LED-light blink in intervals that I defined myself, it was a fun day. Meanwhile I have created a corner in my home office space where I can tinker with my Arduino kit, as well as with the Lego Mindstorms gear that I bought the day after the workshop.

Making the Lego Mindstorms Robot slalom:

Playing with Arduino programmable hardware:

This week I will attend another workshop at ProtoSpace to learn to work with the different machines the FabLab has available. At the Arduino workshop we already played with the laser cutter during lunch, and admired the 3D printed objects.

Lasercutting apples:

3D printing examples at FabLab Utrecht/ Protospace: