Getting Started with Arduino

I bought the 'Getting Started with Arduino Kit v3.0' from Radio Shack. It includes the Arduino Uno microcontroller and a lot of little electronics. 

The microcontroller is the computer for the robot I'll be building. It stores all the code and performs the computations -- basically managing the sensors and actuators. Due to my lack of experience with Arduino (or building small robots in general) I also picked up a digital copy of Getting Started with Arduino Edition 2 to help me get started.

Programming the Arduino requires the Arduino IDE installed on a connected computer. This IDE (an integrated development environment) basically lets me write code and translate and transfer it to the Arduino. 

With the help of the book I was able to light up different LEDs (sounds impressive, right?). To do so I used some wiring, the lights themselves, and the breadboard -- all included in the kit. A breadboard lets you quickly wire circuits without using solder.

The circuit in the picture lights up an LED when the button is pressed and then turns the light off when pressed again. Going forward I'll keep making more advanced circuits on the same basic principle: sense, think, then act