⚙️ Arduino Engineering Lab: Interactive Gadgets & Sensors

This 6-week Level 2 course builds on Intro to Arduino Uno R3 (Level 1) and introduces learners to interactive gadgets that combine multiple sensors, displays, and moving parts. Students will design devices that react, measure, and display information—just like real smart systems.

Each week, learners explore a new build featuring components such as LCD screens, piezo buzzers, tilt and touch sensors, and motor drivers. Through step-by-step video lessons and guided challenges, they’ll strengthen their coding, logic, and engineering skills while creating functional gadgets that respond to the world around them.

By the end of the course, students will have built a mini-collection of Arduino-powered creations that use sound, light, motion, and display output to interact intelligently with their environment.

By the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Integrate multiple sensors and outputs (piezo, tilt, capacitive, LCD).
   
• Write programs using variables, loops, and conditional logic.
   
• Display real-time data on an LCD screen.
   
• Build and control DC motors using drivers and transistors.
   
• Troubleshoot and refine interactive systems using the engineering design process.

Phase B — Level 2: Interactive Gadgets

Week Focus Topic Project Example / Concepts Covered

Week 1 – Piezo + Buttons Sound & Input Logic Keyboard Instrument – Create musical tones using buttons + piezo buzzer.

Week 2 – Timing & State Conditional Logic + Loops Digital Hourglass – Track time with sensors and LEDs.

Week 3 – DC Motor + Driver Motor Control + Power Circuits Motorized Pinwheel – Use a transistor driver to control speed & direction.

Week 4 – Animation Logic Pattern Loops + Visual Sequencing Zoetrope – Code animations with LED timing frames.

Week 5 – Tilt & Randomization Accelerometer Input + Probability Crystal Ball – Use tilt sensor and random() function for predictions.

Week 6 – LCD Mini-Dashboard Data Display + Integration Sensor Readouts – Show temperature / light values on LCD screen. 

• Computer (Windows or Mac) with USB port + Arduino IDE software (free).
   
• Recommended Kit: Arduino Official Starter Kit (K000007) or equivalent including LCD module, motor driver, piezo, tilt sensor, breadboard components.
   
• Optional: extra jumper wires, mini servo, resistors for experiments.
   
• Internet connection for video lessons and teacher feedback.

MTC instructors are certified STEM educators and robotics coaches experienced in electronics and coding. They provide guided instruction and personalized feedback, helping students debug circuits, understand logic structures, and apply creative design principles to their projects.

This is a self-paced course with optional live support. Students work independently through video modules and guided projects. Parents may assist with kit ordering and initial setup. Supervision is recommended when using motors or tools for assembly.

NGSS

• MS-ETS1 : Engineering Design — Define problems, develop solutions, optimize designs.
   
• MS-PS2 : Motion & Stability — Explore forces, motion, and electrical interactions.
   

CSTA

• 2-CS-02 : Design and develop programs with loops, conditionals, and variables.
   
• 3A-AP-16 : Incorporate sensors and hardware inputs/outputs into computational artifacts.
   
• 3B-AP-21 : Develop modular programs to model real-world systems.