Basic Arduino for Beginners: Halloween Edition (Pumpkins Included!)

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Greetings, human! Arduino is a cheap and tiny computer that can become anything from a robot's brain to a guitar pedal. And even if you are new to computers, with Arduino, you can make something cool.

Never coded? No worries. We will walk you through the basics of making amazing stuff with Arduino. Even if you've never written code or connected a component, you'll leave with a great project, and be inspired to make another.

The Basics

Set up Arduino, test it out, and learn what it can do:

Goof around with lots of cool electronic components

Learn to modify programs, use other people's, and write your own. Yes, you can program!

Explore creative ways of blowing up components...or keeping them from blowing up.

Optional: Build, code, test, and bring home the world's most irritating musical instrument

After the workshop ends, you can hang out with the MakerBar crew and get tips on your own projects and ideas.

What You'll Need
You'll need a laptop (any OS, Mac or PC is fine) to participate.

One computer per adult. This means it is okay for a parent and child team to bring a single computer.

You can either bring your own Arduino Uno or Mega with USB cable, or you can purchase one at the workshop for $35.

Before class: Please pre-install the Arduino software from http://arduino.cc/en/main/software on your computer.

What We Provide

Admission price includes three-hour workshop and component pack and pumpkin.

Since it is close to Halloween we will be including how to make a proximity sensing light for your pumpkin and a Cylon type scanner (see: latest Battlestar Galactica).

We will NOT be carving pumpkins in class. We include pumpkins in the class supplies for you to carve at home or you can bring them back for the pumpkin hacking on Wednesday, October 30, when you can put your Arduino project into your pumpkin (see the schedule) (https://www.meetup.com/MakerBar/events/142750752/).

Safety and age limits:

This class doesn't involve any soldering, tools, etc.

Kids 11 and up are welcome with a parent or adult guardian.

Cost is $50 + $15 materials, MakerBar Members pay only for materials.

About your instructors

Andy Fundinger is a professional Python developer and trainer. He's been programming for almost 28 years and in Python for 8 years. This is the second time he's teaching Arduino for Beginners at MakerBar.

Martha carved a Cylon Pumpkin at last year's offering of this class (https://www.meetup.com/MakerBar/events/77796802/) and is coming back to help teach it this year. If she can do it, so can you.

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