Have you ever wanted to take Digital Art beyond the screen, or add interactive elements to your existing work? Arduino is the place to start, it is the gateway to the fascinating world of electronics.
Robert Hall leads a series of two beginner workshops (Intro to Arduino 1 / Intro to Arduino 2) exploring the fundamentals of physical computing through Arduino. On this course you will gain an understanding of what an Arduino is, why it is useful and what sort of work it makes possible.
Intro to Arduino 1 (below) covers the basics, while Intro to Arduino 2 builds on those foundations. The second session can be attended on its own, but if you have no previous coding experience, we recommend attending Session 1 before Session 2.
What will be covered ?
We’ll begin by introducing Arduino—what it is, how it works, and why it’s such a powerful tool for artists and designers. We'll cover how to set up the Arduino software on your computer and connect components using a breadboard. You'll also learn the fundamentals of Analog and Digital signals, and gain a deeper understanding of how electronic components communicate with each other.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this session, you’ll have built a simple interactive circuit and controlled an LED using a potentiometer. You’ll also learn how to use the Serial Monitor to visualise the potentiometer’s values, helping you see exactly how your hardware interacts with software. Finally, we’ll explore how to use the potentiometer as an input for TouchDesigner, allowing you to manipulate digital visuals based on real-time data from your Arduino. This session will set you up with essential skills for combining physical computing with digital art.
Do I need any particular skills?
The course will assume no experience of coding, but computing basics such as installing programs, downloading and opening files would be very useful.
Dates: Sat 22nd March 2025
Time: 10am-12pm
Location: arebyte Gallery, E14 0LG London
Price:
£32.50 (includes £17.50 for Arduino kit)
Prerequisites:
You will need a laptop computer with windows or macOS (not an iPad) and any adapters required to plug in a normal rectangle USB cable.
Robert Hall
Robert Hall is a Lecturer in Physical Computing at Goldsmiths, teaching masters students how to make physical work with interactive elements. He is also a Technician in the Hatchlab which is Goldsmiths’ Hack Space where students can use all manner of tools and processes including Soldering, 3D Printing and Laser Cutting. Outside of Goldsmiths, Rob works as a Creative Technologist, designing custom hardware for a theater production, or building a live video installation that spans 3 storeys of exhibition space.