Eric Rosenbaum, Evelyn Eastmond, David Mellis

Abstract

Programming microcontrollers for tangible interfaces can be easier and more accessible than it is now, empowering a broader audience to participate. The first part of this studio will introduce participants to Scratch for Arduino, a graphical programming language for controlling the Arduino hardware platform. The participants will form small groups to create projects using the Arduino in combination with a kit of input and output devices, and program their creations’ behavior using Scratch for Arduino. In the second part of the studio, participants will have a chance to get under the hood of the Scratch for Arduino language and its underlying blocks engine, modifying it or extending it to work with other tangible kits. We will close with a discussion about participants’ experiences using and modifying Scratch for Arduino and the blocks engine, comparing them to other environments and considering possibilities for future work and collaborations.