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 For something a little less challenging than a self-balancing robot, check out this automated Pez dispenser by Hazim Bitar. An Arduino board takes readings from an ultrasonic distance sensor under the dispenser, and when a a hand or object comes close - a servo whips open the head of the dispenser allowing retrieval of the sweet. It's a fun little project that would be an interesting task to introduce younger ones to the world of Arduino, for example:

For complete instructions visit the project page here. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

If this type of project interests you and you're new to the Arduino world, check out our new Experimenter's Kit for Arduino:

The package includes a wide variety of parts, sensors and modules including: a servo motor, lights, buttons, switches, sound, sensors, breadboard, wires and more. Furthermore a Freetronics Eleven Arduino-compatible board is included to make this an extensive hobby experimenter, inventor and starter kit. However we don't leave you alone to figure it all out, included is a great project and instruction booklet, plus access to a supporting web page and software examples. In other words - this is everything you need to get started for a fun range of electronics and Arduino related projects! 

So to get started or for more information and to order, check out the product page.

 Since the cost of electronics, robotics parts and sensors has come down over time, many enthusiasts often find the challenge of making their own self-balancing robot a satisfying and successful project. An example of this has recently been published by Arkadi Rafalovich. His robot has four wheels, with two larger ones at the top to protect the electronics and also make it easy to use as a normal robotic vehicle as well. Apart from just giving us the Arduino sketch and parts list, Arkadi has documented the project in detail to make it easy to follow. And here it is in action:

For more information you can download the project details from here. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

 And now for something from the "possibly pointless but fun" file comes a catapult from Instructables user "mrigsby". They have made a small catapult using parts generated from a 3D printer, and used two servos and a spring to both launch the subject and return the catapult back for another fling. So if you're looking for a reason to get a 3D printer, or an excuse to have fun with the children - this could be a lot of fun:

Visit the project page to make your own - however use fake frogs. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

If this type of project interests you and you're new to the Arduino world, check out our new Experimenter's Kit for Arduino:

The package includes a wide variety of parts, sensors and modules including: a servo motor, lights, buttons, switches, sound, sensors, breadboard, wires and more. Furthermore a Freetronics Eleven Arduino-compatible board is included to make this an extensive hobby experimenter, inventor and starter kit. However we don't leave you alone to figure it all out, included is a great project and instruction booklet, plus access to a supporting web page and software examples. In other words - this is everything you need to get started for a fun range of electronics and Arduino related projects! 

So to get started or for more information and to order, check out the product page.

 Japanese Arduino enthusiast Kimio Kosaka has created a skeletal version of an Arduino-compatible board - not something spooky, but called this as there isn't a PCB. Instead, he connected the circuit up using steel wire, and soldered the components to the necessary points - creating a single-sided Arduino board without a PCB. Check it out in the following video:

 The Arduino and audio enthusiast team at CoolArduino have published a fascinating method of creating a truly analogue audio volume control with an Arduino (keep reading). Knowing that tungsten wire (found in bulbs) has a resistance that is proportional to temperature - they control the bulb brightness with PWM control from the Arduino, and pass the audio through a voltage divider comprising of the bulbs which then alters the volume. 

Sounds crazy but it works, so visit the project page for a complete explanation. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

If you're new to Arduino, the first step is a solid board for your projects - our Freetronics Eleven - the Arduino-Uno compatible with low-profile USB socket, onboard prototyping space and easy to view LEDs:

 There is more to PWM from your Arduino than just adjusting LED brightness, and one alternative use has been demonstrated by Instructables user 'recwap', who demonstrates how to control 12V DC cooling fans. These are the type found in device enclosures and can be quite inexpensive. You can use PWM to control the speed of the fans even with an external power source, and would be great for adding a thermostat-controlled cooling system or a soldering fume extractor, or just for fun - for example:

 Furthermore the circuit keeps the digital outputs from the high-current fan circuitry, protecting your Arduino. Find out more from here. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

If this type of project interests you and you're new to the Arduino world, check out our new Experimenter's Kit for Arduino:

The package includes a wide variety of parts, sensors and modules including: a servo motor, lights, buttons, switches, sound, sensors, breadboard, wires and more. Furthermore a Freetronics Eleven Arduino-compatible board is included to make this an extensive hobby experimenter, inventor and starter kit. However we don't leave you alone to figure it all out, included is a great project and instruction booklet, plus access to a supporting web page and software examples. In other words - this is everything you need to get started for a fun range of electronics and Arduino related projects! 

So to get started or for more information and to order, check out the product page.

 One of the great things you can do with an Arduino and very little effort is logging data - and most methods generally write data to a microSD card for later analysis by a PC. However we'd like to illustrate another method by Ray Burne - which uses a microcontroller with the Arduino bootloader and external circuitry directly connected to a PC's USB port. The device then reads the status of 14 I/O pins and sends it back to the PC as text - which is made possible by the device acting as a USB keyboard. This opens up more interesting possibilities such as having the data "typed" straight into a spreadsheet or other software. 

For design information and instructions, click here. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

If you're wanting to reproduce the project above - we've got you covered with our new ATmega328P MCUs with Arduino Uno bootloader:

This is the same Atmel AVR ATmega328P microcontroller used in the official Arduino Uno, as well as our Eleven, EtherTen, USBDroid, and other boards. Perfect for building your own Arduino-compatible project directly on a breadboard or on a custom PCB, or for replacing the MCU in an existing board. Comes with the Arduino Uno bootloader pre-installed. Better still, it even has a special label stuck on top with details of the pinout, so you don't even need to look up the datasheet when connecting it up in your project! For more information and to order, click here!

 This isn't a device that prints poems about Arduinos, it's a device that is controlled by an Arduino which can print poems! Using a small thermal printer with a serial interface, Giles Booth created a device that can send short poems, wisdom, or other messages on demand to the printer. What you can print is limited by the type of board you're using, however there's still scope for a variety of messages. Here it is in action:

Not bad at all, so head here for complete instructions. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

When creating projects with external devices or circuitry - consider our range of ProtoShields. From the tiny LeoStick to the Mega range, we offer a complete range for you to work with. 

 The people at the Mitchtech blog have published a useful article about controlling Arduino digital outputs using an Android phone via the Arduino+USB host shield combination. The neat thing about the tutorial is that the author has written in a style to make it as simple as possible, instead of trying to be too clever. In no time you'll be controlling digital outputs and increase your confidence to move further along. They use the "microbridge" Android Debug Bridge (ADB) implementation for microcontrollers, so check it for compatibility with your phone before getting started. 

Nevertheless it's a great way to get started with Arduino and Android. And for more, we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

Apart from being a fully Arduino Uno-compatible, it has onboard microSD socket and the full USB socket and host-mode controller. As well as the Bluetooth application described above, this is the ideal platform for developing peripherals or projects based around Android devices with ADK (Android Developer Kit) functionality, but without requiring a USB host controller shield stacked onto an Arduino. For more information and to order, visit the product page here. 

 If you're looking for an excuse to spend more time with friends, all the while looking busy making something - consider knocking up a version of beer Pong as described by Instructables user "PotNoodle". It's quite easy - using piezo sensors under each cup with an LED next to the sensor, the game detects when a cup (or skittle, etc) has been knocked over and lights the LED. Furthermore the Arduino can generate various sound effects as well. It's a simple project that's open for experimentation, and can be a lot of fun after a few drinks:

So to get started, click here. And we're on twitter and Google+, so follow us for news and product updates as well.

If you're interested in working with piezos for various reasons we have a 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.