If you’re interested in tinkering with technology and creating Raspberry Pi projects, this Elegoo UNO R3 kit may appeal to you.
The kit I have is the “Most Complete Ultimate Starter Kit” which features an Arduino UNO board with a wide array of components included which can be programmed and controlled with the Arduino.
Video
What is Arduino?
So, you may be wondering what Arduino is. Arduino is an open-source platform for electronics, consisting of the controller board itself and the IDE software which can be used to program the board itself.
Arduino boards take an input, such as a button press, and turn it into an output, such as a light flashing. Arduino is increasingly popular for projects from hobbyists and professionals alike and I think it is great that this kit includes a bunch of components to get started and play with.
The Kit
The kit itself comes with over 200 different components, pictured above, which you can learn how to program and then use in conjunction together to create your own personal projects.
I do like that Elegoo includes a CD which contains all the documentation and guides you’d need to learn about how to control and interact with these different components. If you don’t have a CD drive, don’t worry, it’s also available to download from Elegoo’s website.
Using the Kit
Using the kit is straightforward thanks to the in-depth guides included with it. Programming is done with the Arduino IDE which is available from Arduino’s website for Windows, macOS and Linux. As I use Windows I chose to download the software from the Microsoft Store as it seamlessly installed the drivers I needed and will keep it up to date.
Once the software is installed, you can begin to follow the how-to guides to learn how to use the different components through 33 lessons and how the Arduino can be programmed to utilise them.
Once you’re comfortable with controlling the components, you can begin to build projects where they work together to perform a task.
My Thoughts
All of this is definitely a learning process and it is certainly new to me. I’m hoping to learn how to use different components together to create some little projects.
The kit appeals to me since I’ve always been interested in the Raspberry Pi and electronics in general, so this feels like a grown-up version of the toy electronics kits I used to have when I was little.
If you or someone you know is interested in programming and technology, I think this kit is a great gift for yourself or someone else and it definitely has me interested in continuing to learn about Arduino and programming.
The Elegoo UNO R3 Project The Most Complete Ultimate Starter Kit is available to purchase on Amazon, you can learn more about it on Elegoo’s website.
