Arduino, the open-source leader famous for making technology accessible to all, is launching a new product today: the Plug and Make Kit. This kit is designed to help people of all ages take the first step into electronics in a fun and easy way. Anyone can make their own smart, connected device and get to know the Internet of Things (IoT) first hand. Since 2005, Arduino has built a global community of millions of users thanks to products like the iconic Arduino UNO microcontroller, the hugely popular Arduino IDE software, and a large variety of Starter Kits, boards and modules.

Today, the new Arduino Plug and Make Kit takes this approach a step further and lowers barriers more than ever, allowing anyone to develop functional smart devices in a single session. Even beginners and young inventors can start creating new projects quickly and easily, and feel the huge sense of accomplishment that comes with building something with their own hands, while learning and having fun. Without further ado, let’s discover the contents of the kit!

The Arduino Plug and Make Kit: contents

The Plug and Make Kit combines Arduino’s extensive resources and complete ecosystem with an innovative hardware approach. It includes:
  • Arduino UNO R4 WiFi main board: this maker’s favorite is a unique combination of simplicity for first-time users and potential for future implementations. The board is based on Renesas RA4M1 Arm Cortex M4 as main microcontroller and Espressif ESP32 S3 as connectivity device.
  • Modulino sensors and actuators: a buzzer, a 6-axis IMU, a temperature and humidity sensor, buttons, a knob, an LED strip and a time-of-flight proximity sensor – that’s 7 nodes for different functionalities! They simply snap together, with no risk of mistakes. Several Modulino feature the new STM32C0 microcontroller based on Arm Cortex M0 architecture.
  • The Modulino Base: a whole new physical frame designed to keep projects looking and feeling neat.
  • Online resources to swiftly integrate with the Arduino ecosystem: a dedicated content platform in multiple languages, free and easy-to-use programming tools, a smartphone app to monitor and control IoT devices, and readily available Arduino Cloud templates to get up and running in minutes.

Get Started Quickly and Easily

The concept is to allow users to go from an idea to a fully functional smart device in a single session. The new Plug and Make Kit experience starts with 7 fun and useful projects that allow anyone to assemble components in a snap, without soldering or breadboards, and to control the new device via intuitive Arduino Cloud dashboards, even from their smartphone.
  • Weather Report: Never get caught in the rain, with a visual reminder to take an umbrella when needed
  • Hourglass: Who needs an egg timer? Customize your own digital hourglass
  • Eco Watch: Make sure your plants thrive in the perfect temperature and humidity
  • Game Controller: Level up with your very own HID (Human Interface Device) gamepad
  • Sonic Synth: Get one step closer to being a rockstar, DJ or sound engineer!
  • Smart Lights: Turn the lights on and off from your couch, via your smartphone
  • Touchless Lamp: Control lights with a simple gesture

The technology behind the kit

The kit was developed by choosing the best components for durability and convenience, teaming up with leaders like Renesas, Espressif and STMicroelectronics. After the successful partnership with Renesas for the UNO R4, which uses a 32-bit RA4M1 microcontroller, Arduino is proud to continue the cooperation; the Plug and Make Kit uses the ISL854102FRZ buck regulator among other Renesas parts.

Similarly with STMicroelectronics, the new Modulino modules features high-end components from ST, such as STM32C0 microcontrollers, MEMS sensors (LSM6DSOX, LPS22HB), and Time-of-Flight sensors (VL53L4CD).

We can't wait to see what future projects Arduino releases for the kit, and what creative uses the user community comes up with!