Top Arduino Projects to Sharpen Your Skills and Build Your Arduino Portfolio

Arduino refers to the open-source software and hardware company, platform, and online community that designs microcontrollers and microcontroller kits that allow users to build digital devices. It is highly popular because of its ease of use and for how easy it makes it for beginners to build prototypes. 

If you’re hoping to become an expert with Arduino’s software and hardware, we’ve compiled this article just for you. Keep reading to learn about the different skills you can practice, as well as the best beginner, intermediate, and advanced Arduino projects to get some valuable hands-on experience and create strong pieces to add to your portfolio.

5 Skills That Arduino Projects Can Help You Practice

Becoming an Arduino expert can set you up for a wide range of career paths, including electronics, engineering, and roles working with the Internet of things (IoT). However, there are a few skills that you should pick up to make learning and practicing Arduino easier. Learn about them below.

• Programming skills in Python, C, C++. Arduino is built around straightforward and easy-to-understand programming languages such as C#, Python, ArduBlock, and Snap4Arduino. It also uses a subset of C/C++ with the code compiled with avr-g++.
• Sensor operator skills. Sensors are small electronic devices that can be placed on boards to get input from environmental factors such as light and temperature. You can then program the board to respond to certain specific conditions.
• Circuit design. Many experts in Arduino are also engineers who develop electronic circuitry commonly found in devices such as computers, televisions, and smartphones. You’ll need to have such skills to work on advanced Arduino projects. 
• Computer skills. Computer skills are vital when working on Arduino projects. Other than proficiency in programming basics, you’ll need mathematical skills for complex algorithms, skills in writing programs, and skills in writing and debugging code. 
• Microprocessor and microcontroller skills. Microcontrollers are fused into Arduino boards. Knowing what to do with microcontrollers will enable you to read those different inputs while controlling outputs.

Best Arduino Project Ideas for Beginners 

Arduino is a popular choice for students designing their first projects. Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of project ideas that would be cool for beginners to try out. All you need is a board, IDE, and basic electronic supplies. Most of these projects have step-by-step guides to help you complete them successfully.

Real-Time Digital Clock with Temperature 

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Sensor operator skills, circuit design skills 

This is an excellent beginner project which will help you build a real-time clock that features a temperature display. You’ll need a DS3231 RTC chip which features a built-in temperature sensor. 

The clock should keep running even when power from the main source is down. The circuit operation is controlled by the program loaded into Arduino UNO’s initial memory. Remember to upload the source code into the UNO board before wiring.

Simple Thermometer

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design skills, sensor operator skills

This is a simple project for beginners which can be done by anyone with a basic comprehension of Arduino. The aim of this project is to create a simple digital thermometer with one input, which is the temperature sensor, and one output, which is the segment display. To complete it, you’ll need a temperature sensor, a display, and Arduino UNO. 

System to Monitor Air Pollution

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design skills, sensor operator skills

Are dust and pollution common where you live? If so, you should try this project to help you build a system to monitor air pollution. This project uses a special sensor called MQ7 which measures carbon monoxide data in the air. 

This input is sensitive and has a fast response rate. You’ll also meet the map function which will remap numbers from different ranges and LEDs to help distinguish concentration changes in the air. This project offers a chance for beginners to learn to program.

Smart GPS Tracker

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

You can use Arduino to make a tracking system that can be used to help parents track their children. It can also be used to track a vehicle’s location or other objects. For this project, you’ll need an OLED display, wires, Arduino Nano, a 2G sim card, a small 3V battery, and a GPS module.

Alarm Clock

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

Are you tired of hitting the snooze button and waking up late? If so, then give this project a try as the main aim is to create an alarm clock that will display the date, time, and feature a radio as well. You’ll need a radio module, LCD display, and RTC modules. 

Best Intermediate Arduino Project Ideas 

If you’re ready to try your hand at more challenging projects, take a look at our list of the best intermediate Arduino project ideas to get some hands-on experience.

Bicycle Backlight

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

Through this project, you will be creating a bicycle backlight that mimics those in vehicles and can help prevent accidents on the road. Using Arduino UNO you can work on a project to create a display that indicates which side is safe for other bikers and fast cars to overtake you. You can mount the LED display onto the bicycle luggage compartment. 

Bluetooth Controlled Toy Car

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

This project is perfect for intermediate learners looking to practice their skills. However, it is not as complicated as you might think. This project aims to create a Bluetooth remote-controlled car. You may use an old DVD case as the chassis for your car. You’ll need stepper motors, wheels, wires, and Arduino hardware. 

Speedometer

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Circuit design, sensor operator skills

The aim of this project is to create a speedometer that can tell how fast certain objects are going. Products for this project include an ultrasonic sensor, LED, resistor, single turn potentiometer, and Arduino Nano R3. This project also doubles down as a tutorial to help you measure the speed of movement of specific objects.  

Music Reactive LED Strip 

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

The aim of this project is to develop an LED lighting system that reacts or ‘dances’ to music. It is fairly easy to put together as all you need is an Arduino Nano R3, an LED strip, single turn potentiometer, converter, and a power supply. This sound-reactive project is great for intermediate learners looking to hone their skills. 

Radar

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

All you’ll need for this project is an ultrasonic sensor for detecting objects, a breadboard, jump wires, an Arduino board, and a servo motor for rotating the sensor. You’ll start off by connecting the ultrasonic sensor to the servo motor and attaching a pin header. Afterward, attach the servo motor to the Arduino board.

Advanced Arduino Project Ideas

If you’re ready to create stunning pieces for your portfolio, here are some advanced Arduino projects you can take on. Some of these projects have tutorials to guide beginners and keep experts engaged.

Robotic Kitten 

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

The aim of this project is to create a kitten that can learn from you as well as move around. The project was first created by Rongzhong Li back in 2018. Product details of this project include an OpenCat Nybble, a Raspberry Pi3 model, USB-A to mini-USB cable, and a Li-ion battery with a smart charger. 

Forest Fire Detection Airplane 

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming coding skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

Forest fires are a growing concern across the world as the globe continues to warm up. The aim of this project is to come up with a detection system able to fly autonomously while detecting and reporting any signs of wildfire.

Ultrasonic Sight for the Blind and Visually Impaired

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

The main aim of this project is to create a system that detects obstacles like holes, road signs, steps, and cars. It can also be used in sports as a heart rate and blood oxygen sensor. You’ll need a vibrating mini motor disc, IR receiver, speaker, Arduino 101, and an ultrasonic sensor.

Glove Controlled Robotic Hand

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

This is a challenging project that dives into the biomechanical engineering world. Contrary to what you might think, building this Arduino robot arm is fairly inexpensive. You’ll need an Arduino UNO, metal springs, a couple of micro-servo motors, breadboard, jumper wires, tape, project form, gloves, flexible plastic sheet, battery holders, paper, and pencil. 

Speech Controlled Robot

• Arduino Skills Practiced: Programming skills, circuit design, sensor operator skills

Robots are common among Arduino experts. You can program a robot to listen to voice commands using Arduino components because they are cheap and easy to configure. For this project, you’ll need an Arduino Nano R3, HC-05 Bluetooth Module, and an L298n motor driver.

Arduino Starter Project Templates

Projects are excellent learning tools especially for beginners new to this platform. However, starting projects from scratch, especially on Arduino IDE, can be time-consuming and tedious. Using starter templates allows you to focus on the project while saving on time and effort. Here are some Arduino starter projects for you to consider.  

• Arduino Skeleton Project. This template contains source code from the Arduino IDE v.1.6 and has been tested with UNO boards. 
• Easy Line Follower Robot. This project features source code for an easy line follower robot which will save you lots of time in programming. 
• LCD Stopwatch with Split Time. Are you working on an Arduino project involving a stopwatch that features split time? Consider this template as it features the entire project code to help you save on time.
• Personal Assistant. This project from the Arduino project hub also features a complete source code that can be used for a personal assistant Arduino project. 
• Bluetooth Controlled Car. With over 500,000 views, this project from the Arduino project hub is a popular choice for both students and advanced developers. It features a complete source code that can program any related Bluetooth-controlled cars. 

Next Steps: Start Organizing Your Arduino Portfolio

A portfolio is a great way to showcase some of your best talents and work. You can also use it to tell more about your personality to potential employers to help them determine whether you are a perfect fit for upcoming projects. Resumes and LinkedIn profiles are also great to have, but they won’t showcase your capabilities in a way that a portfolio can.

With that said, you still need to draft and organize your portfolio in a way that increases your marketability. For instance, you need to have an ‘about me’ section backed by testimonials from previous clients. Here are some more tips to consider when organizing your portfolio. 

Be Selective While Keeping Your Target Audience in Mind

Although you might be tempted to include all your projects in your portfolio, you should consider narrowing them down to a few good ones. When doing so, you should ask yourself whether the project demonstrates your best skills. You should also exclude projects similar to one another. Remember that recruiters or hiring managers might not have time to go through all your projects. This means that you should only add those that demonstrate your true capabilities.

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Make Sure It’s Easily Accessible and Navigable

Your portfolio should leave a positive first impression. It should be simple, clear, and straight to the point, and offer the most essential information for your visitors. You should also make sure that your projects, social media connections, code samples, and contacts are easily accessible, preferably through a few clicks. 

Remember to Include Testimonials

Testimonials are an excellent way to enhance your personal brand. After all, they are proof of your personality, achievements, and skills. As a result, they act like marketing tools that attract potential clients and employers. 

When organizing your Arduino portfolio, be sure to include a few recommendations from previous clients and feedback from your previous workplaces. It is also a good idea to post a few case studies if you have them.

Arduino Projects FAQ