ARDUINO IS AN OPEN-SOURCE ELECTRONICS PROTOTYPING PLATFORM BASED ON FLEXIBLE, EASY-TO-USE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE. IT'S INTENDED FOR ARTISTS, DESIGNERS, HOBBYISTS AND ANYONE INTERESTED IN CREATING INTERACTIVE OBJECTS OR ENVIRONMENTS.
Arduino can sense the environment by receiving input from a variety of sensors and can affect its surroundings by controlling lights, motors, and other actuators. The microcontroller on the board is programmed using the Arduino programming language (based on Wiring) and the Arduino development environment (based on Processing). Arduino projects can be stand-alone or they can communicate with software running on a computer (e.g. Flash, Processing, MaxMSP).
The boards can be built by hand or purchased preassembled; the software can be downloaded for free. The hardware reference designs (CAD files) are available under an open-source license, you are free to adapt them to your needs.
Arduino received an Honorary Mention in the Digital Communities section of the 2006 Ars Electronica Prix. The Arduino team is: Massimo Banzi, David Cuartielles, Tom Igoe, Gianluca Martino, and David Mellis. Credits
The community of Arduino enthusiasts is vast, and includes region specific groups and special interest groups. The community is an excellent further source of assistance on all topics such as accessory selection, project assistance, and ideas of all sorts.
The official Arduino multi-lingual forum is an excellent entrance to the Arduino community, as is the official Arduino Google+ Community
The official Arduino Wiki (playground) is a collection of Arduino knowledge, tutorials, and instructions.
Buy an Arduino Board from the official Arduino store or from one of the authorized Arduino distributors world wide.
General announcements and thoughts from the Arduino team can be found in our blog.