Arduino has launched the Plug and Make Kit, designed to help individuals of all ages embark on their electronics journey in an enjoyable and straightforward manner. This kit allows anyone to create their own smart, connected device and gain first hand experience with the Internet of Things (IoT).
The new Arduino Plug and Make Kit elevates the ease of use and accessibility, enabling users to develop functional smart devices in a single session. It is designed for beginners and young inventors, making it easy to start new projects quickly and experience the satisfaction of building, learning, and having fun.
“The Plug and Make Kit is Arduino’s new entry point into the world of IoT and electronics: one that is more accessible, fun and engaging than ever. No matter their age, background or interests, everyone can experience that first taste of technology,” said Fabio Violante, CEO of Arduino.
The Plug and Make Kit includes seven engaging projects that allow users to assemble components without soldering or breadboards, controlling the new device via intuitive Arduino Cloud dashboards, even from a smartphone:
- Weather Report: Visual rain forecast to remind you to take an umbrella
- Hourglass: Customisable digital timer
- Eco Watch: Monitors temperature and humidity to ensure plants thrive
- Game Controller: Create your own HID (Human Interface Device) gamepad
- Sonic Synth: Step closer to becoming a rockstar, DJ, or sound engineer
- Smart Lights: Control lights from your smartphone
- Touchless Lamp: Operate lights with simple gestures
Additional projects will be available online, providing users with endless ideas.
“The components in the Plug and Make Kit can be used to create endless applications – also swiftly integrating with Arduino’s full ecosystem of hardware and software tools. In fact, we can expect Arduino’s vast community to develop and share many original ideas soon,” added Fabio Violante.
The Plug and Make Kit offers an easy and enjoyable introduction to a world of technological possibilities, accessible to everyone as the simplest kit Arduino has ever created.
The Plug and Make Kit combines Arduino’s extensive resources with an innovative hardware approach, featuring:
- Arduino UNO R4 WiFi main board: Ideal for beginners, with potential for advanced projects. It uses the Renesas RA4M1 Arm Cortex M4 as the main microcontroller and Espressif ESP32 S3 for connectivity
- Modulino sensors and actuators: Including a buzzer, 6-axis IMU, temperature and humidity sensor, buttons, knob, LED strip, and time-of-flight proximity sensor. These snap together easily, reducing the risk of errors. Several Modulino components feature the new STM 32C0 microcontroller based on Arm Cortex M0 architecture
- Modulino Base: A new frame design that keeps projects organised
- Online resources: Including a multilingual content platform, free programming tools, a smartphone app for monitoring and controlling IoT devices, and Arduino Cloud templates for quick setup
The kit utilises top-quality components for durability and convenience, in partnership with leaders such as Renesas, Espressif, and STMicroelectronics.
“Last year we teamed-up with Arduino for the development of the new Arduino UNO R4, the quintessential board for rapid prototyping – upgrading the device to a 32-bit Arm architecture, opening up a new range of possibilities. Now we are extremely happy to see our RA4M1 Microcontroller and Buck Regulator ISL854102FRZ technology being deployed within Arduino’s Plug and Make Kit to foster the new generation of innovators, lowering the barriers to entry into technology,” said Mohammed Dogar, VP and Head of Global Business Development and Ecosystem at Renesas Electronics.
The Plug and Make Kit exemplifies Arduino’s commitment to making technology accessible, enabling everyone to innovate and create with ease.
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