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Are you fascinated by the idea of thermal imaging? Well I bet you didn’t realise that you can make your very own thermal imaging camera using Arduino! With this awesome project from stoppi71, using an Arduino, some servos and a thermal sensor you can be producing awesome thermal images in no time.

This is quite an advanced project but if you are willing to put in the effort you will be rewarded with a whole heap of new skills and a working thermal imaging camera. Worth it in our opinion!

To get started on this fantastic project check out the instructable!

If you are looking for an Arduino board to control your thermal imaging camera why not check out the Freetronics “Eleven” Arduino Compatible Board.  

The Eleven is just like an Arduino Uno (and 100% compatible), however the Freetronics team have made a number of improvements to the Arduino Uno design such as adding in a prototyping area, using a micro-USB connector and many more. These improvements mean that the Eleven is as easy to use as possible and is of the highest quality! To find out more about the fantastic Freetronics Eleven check out the following link. The Eleven has just come back into stock so order soon to avoid missing out!

Why you download the Arduino software environment it already comes with plenty of code examples and supported hardware. However, it is impossible for every single piece of hardware to be supported.  This is where libraries come in. Libraries are modules of code that can be used to add specific features or hardware support to your Arduino software environment. Sounds great, how do I add these amazing libraries to my own software environment I hear you ask! I’m glad you asked, because we have a fantastic tutorial which guides you through the ins and outs of installing Arduino libraries. To get started learning this essential skill check out the following link!

One common piece of hardware that requires a library is the humble LCD. If you are looking for a rapid-use LCD for your Arduino or compatible projects why not check out the Freetronics LCD & Keypad shield. The shield contains a bright 16x2 character LCD and five buttons that can be read from only one analog input pin:

Did I mention that you can play games on your LCD Shield? Check it out!

Did you learn something new this Skill Sunday? Have a favourite library you would like to recommend us? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.  

So you love to sort things by colour? Do you wish skittles or m&m's came pre sorted? With this fantastic project from Dejan Nedelkovski you can build your own colour sorting robot.

This is a fantastic project to develop your Arduino skills and learn how to interface between Arduino, motors and sensors. The instructions Dejan has prepared include full code examples! If you want to get started making your own colour sorting robot check out the following link or watch the video below to see the robot in action.

Want to make your own colour sorter but don’t know where to get started with Arduino? Check out our Experimenter’s Kit which provides a perfect platform to learn the basics.

The kit is comprised of a wide range of parts including a servo, sensors, lights, buttons, a sound module and more. Importantly, a Freetronics Eleven Arduino-compatible board is included to ensure that the kit contains everything you need to get started with Arduino. All these great parts would be useless without some form of instructions which is why we have developed a comprehensive project and instruction booklet to get you started. Check out the product page to find out more.

Have you ever wished that you had your own 3D printer? Are you finding the cost of purchasing your own 3D printer prohibitive? With this fantastic instructable from AlmusYang you can build your own 3D printer from scratch! Not only will you learn a lot about how 3D printing works, but you will be able to quickly build models or prototypes right from the comfort of your own home.  

If you still weren’t convinced, an Arduino provides the brains for this 3D printer meaning that the project is very easily modified and adapted to your own purposes. This project is very well documented with full laser cutting templates and code samples provided. If the idea of building your own 3D printer is sparking your interest you can check out the full instructions at the following link.

Typically, a key component of a 3D printer are the stepper motors that control the precise printing movement. Our own StepDuino board is a perfect board to use as part of your 3D printer controller.

The StepDuino is a complete, self-contained Arduino-compatible board with 2 onboard stepper motor drivers, 2 servo outputs, a 20x4 LCD, a micro SD card slot, and more! It's a fantastic general purpose board for any project that uses stepper motors. You can use it as the brain of your next robotics project!

The StepDuino uses the same processor architecture as the common Arduino Uno, so you can program it right from the Arduino IDE simply by selecting "Arduino Uno" as the board type. Everything simply works out of the box, just as it would with a regular Arduino - but now you can also drive steppers directly and display feedback on the huge LCD. For more information, tutorials and to order - visit the StepDuino page.

Planning on making your own 3D printer? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

With this project from Pierre Charlier you can easily and cheapily make your own cocktail maker! The cocktail maker is controlled by an Arduino Mega which interfaces between a “drink selection” touch screen and the motors that control the cocktail making! This is a great project to show off to your friends or to learn more about what Arduino is capable of. All of the design files and required code for this project are openly available so there is nothing stopping you making your own! If you want to find out more, check out the following link. 

You can check the video below to see the cocktail maker in action: 

When building your Arduino cocktail maker you will almost certainly need a H-Bridge motor driver. A H-Bridge allows you to easily control the direction of your motors from within your code. Our own Dual Channel H-Bridge Motor Driver Shield is a perfect solution to this problem, allowing you to drive two DC motors or a stepper motor. The Dual Channel H-Bridge Motor Driver Shield features PWM control, selectable current limits and a prototyping area to add your own parts. To find out more check out the Dual Channel H-Bridge Motor Driver Shield page. To keep up to date with the latest news, projects and product announcements follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Do you struggle to get a good sleep at night? With this unique project from flyingpudding you can use an Arduino to build your own sleep tracker. The tracker allows you to monitor your sleep cycle and the movements you make during the night. The tracker is quite simple and is based off three accelerometers which record changes in your sleeping position throughout the night.

The Arduino sends the movement data to a laptop running Python which produces a very informative sleep pattern graph. You can see an example of the kind of data that this tracker produces in the picture below. If you want to get started making your own sleep tracker checkout the following link.  

If you are looking for a accelerometer to complete this project why not check out the Freetronics 3-Axis Accelerometer Module. The module has independent X,Y and Z axis outputs ready to connect directly into an Arduino. The module is quite small so it would be perfect for using in your sleep tracker! To find out more and to order check out the product page.Planning to take control of your sleep with this project? Working on a project you would like us to feature in this blog? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

Most people know how to blink a few LED’s using an Arduino. With this cool project you can take this knowledge a step further and build your own Arduino powered laser tag system. This awesome project uses an IR transmitter, a piezo, IR receivers and a number of LED’s for visual effects. As you would expect, the IR transmitter is used to shoot your opponents and the IR receivers are used to determine if you have been shot!

This is a really fantastic project if you are looking to expand your Arduino skills. The project is well documented and includes full code examples! To get started on this awesome project check out the instructable by j44.

If you're looking for a piezo module to use in your laser tag guns, why not check out our neat little SOUND: sound and buzzer module:


It can be used as a noise-maker driven by your microcontroller for audible feedback of events, and it can also be used as a knock-detector input to sense events and react to them. Includes a built-in 1M resistor to allow the piezo element to detect shocks. For more information and to order, please visit the product page here.

Planning on making your own Arduino laser tag? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.

Have you ever looked a one of our proto shields and thought, that looks really cool but I would have no idea how to use it? This week on Skill Sunday we are going to learn how you can add your own parts to the ProtoShield and get full potential out of your Arduino or Raspberry Pi.

If you have never soldered before this is the perfect opportunity to start! To get started learning how to fit parts to a Protoboard check out our tutorial at the following link.  

If you are looking to get started making your own custom Arduino projects, why not check out our own ProtoShield for Arduino. The ProtoShield is an excellent tool to turn your temporary, breadboarded project into something more permanent. Proto Shield fits directly onto an Arduino board and has a large general purpose area in the middle where you can solder on your own parts to create a durable, long lasting project! The ProtoShield is a high quality, corrosion resistant gold plated PCB and represents great value at only $3!

To find out more about our fantastic ProtoShield’s check out the product page. Found this weeks Skill Sunday useful? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.   

Do struggle to hear your doorbell while you are outside or along way from your front door? With this project from the ArduinoProjectHub you can make sure that you never miss a visitor ever again! The smart doorbell will notify you on your smartphone or computer when your doorbell has been pressed. The doorbell uses an Arduino and an Ethernet shield so that the notification can be sent over the cloud.

This project is quite simple and easy to make but completing it will teach you a lot about building internet connected devices. To get started with this cool project check out the following link.  

If you are looking for an Arduino to use in your smart doorbell why not check out the Freetronics “Eleven” Arduino Compatible Board.

The Eleven is just like an Arduino Uno (and 100% compatible), however the Freetronics team have made a number of improvements to the Arduino Uno design such as adding in a prototyping area, using a micro-USB connector and more. These improvements mean that the Eleven is as easy to use as possible and is of the highest quality! To find out more about the fantastic Freetronics Eleven check out the following link. The Eleven has just come back into stock, so order soon to avoid missing out!

Almost everyone has one of those old indestructible Nokia phones from yesteryear lying around!  Whilst many people reminisce about their durability, no one really does anything with these phones anymore. What if I told you that you could turn one of these phones into a smartwatch of the future?! That is exactly what Tinkernut has done.

At a basic level this project uses the LCD from your old phone and adds a bluetooth connection so that you can display useful messages on the wrist sized display! The project is very well explained and takes you through how to code your watch, and even how to fit it into a watch sized case you can design yourself! While it might not be the most stylish watch it will certainly be unique! To get started on this awesome project check out the instructions.

 Want to start making your own smartwatch, but don’t know where to get started with Arduino? Check out our Experimenter’s Kit which provides a perfect platform to learn the basics.

The kit is comprised of a wide range of parts including a servo, sensors, lights, buttons, a sound module and more. Importantly, a Freetronics Eleven Arduino-compatible board is included to ensure that the kit contains everything you need to get started with Arduino. All these great parts would be useless without some form of instructions which is why we have developed a comprehensive project and instruction booklet to get you started. Check out the product page to find out more.

What did you think of this project? Let us know in the comments section below or on Facebook and Twitter.