Robert Chin has a Bachelor of Science degree in computer engineering and is experienced in developing projects on the TI CC3200 SimpleLink, Android, Arduino, Raspberry Pi, and PC Windows platforms using C/C++, Java, Python, Unreal Script, DirectX, OpenGL, and OpenGL ES 2.0. He is the author of Home Security System DIY PRO Using Android and TI CC3200 SimpleLink, Home Security Systems DIY Using Android and Arduino, and Beginning Arduino ov7670 Camera Development. He is also the author of Beginning Android 3d Game Development and Beginning IOS 3d Unreal Games Development, both published by Apress, and was the technical reviewer for UDK Game Development, published by Course Technology CENGAGE Learning. Beginning Android 3d Game Development was licensed to Tsinghua University through Tsinghua University Press
Brock Craft is a Lecturer in the Department of Computing at Goldsmiths, University of London. He is also a Senior Tutor at the Royal College of Art. He is a specialist in physical computing, data visualization, and the Internet of Things. Brock’s background is in the field of humancomputer interaction, and he has over a decade of experience making interactive things that people can use, explore, and play with. He was a co-director of the design consultancy Tinker London, along with Alexandra Deschamps-Sonsino and Massimo Banzi, one of the founders of the Arduino Project. He has taught hundreds of people to create things with Arduinos. When he is not teaching and learning, Brock likes to make interactive stuff and digital art
A micro controller is an integrated circuit that is capable of running programs. There are many instances of those on the market today from a variety of manufacturers. The prices of these micro controllers keeps falling. In the hobbyist market, an open source architecture called "Arduino" that uses the Atmel range of processors has caught the imagination of countless folks. The boards containing these Atmel chips combined with a convention for connections and also a free set of development tools has lowered the entry point for playing with electronics to virtually nill. Unlike a PC, these processors are extremely low end with low amounts of ram and storage capabilities. They won't be replacing the desktop or laptop any time soon. For those who want more "oomph" in their processors, the folks over at Raspberry PI have developed a very cheap (~$45) board that is based on the ARM processors that has much more memory and uses micro SD for persistent data storage. These devices run a variant of the Linux operating system. I'm not going to talk further about the Raspberry PI as it is in the class of "computer" as opposed to microprocessor.
The Arduino is a small, inexpensive computer that can be programmed to control endless creations limited only by your imagination. As you’ll soon see, the Arduino can be used to make a whole host of projects, like a ghost detector, joystick-controlled laser, electronic die, laser trip wire alarm, motion sensor alarm, keypad entry system, and many others. All of these projects are easy to build and have one thing in common—they use the power of the Arduino. In the early 1980s, I picked up a great Penguin paperback titled something like Gadgets and Gizmos, hidden away in a local bookstore. The projects were simple ones like making a working lighthouse using flashlight bulbs and building a revolving display table using an old clock. The ideas in that book sparked my imagination, and I’ve been creating ever since.