Artists, product designers, and inventors who understand the basics of Arduino prototyping can take their skills to the next level in this overview of how to work with input sensors: those multitude of devices that can monitor the physical world. You’ll start with the simple (temperature sensors, light sensors) and then move up to the complex (distance, accelerometer, object recognition), learning how each sensor functions, how to wire them up, and how to program them.

• Understand how to build and/or use 35 different types of Arduino input devices
• Learn to incorporate five forms of user input devices (joystick, membrane keyboard, etc.)
• Explore input sensors that measure temperature, humidity, and barometric pressure
• Understand input sensors that measure or sense UV light, visible light, infrared light, and color
• See input sensors that measure gas, water flow, motion, vibration, tilt, rotation, and flex
• Learn to use distance sensors, GPS breakout boards, accelerometers, and gyroscopes
• Understand how to incorporate RFID/NFC card readers into Arduino prototypes
• Explore methods for capturing images and processing video

Marc De Vinck is the Dexter F. Baker Professor of Practice in Creativity at Lehigh University. Metalsmith, illustrator, 3D modeler, teacher, and writer, Marc sits on the Advisory Council at the New York Hall of Science Innovation Institute. He's authored many O'Reilly titles, including Arduino Prototyping Basics and MintDuino: Building an Arduino-Compatible Breadboard Microcontroller.