There are so many options to choose from when starting out with interactive artworks that it can seem overwhelming. Arduino, Pico, Python, MicroPython, Raspberry Pi… where to start? So it is important to orientate yourself and take some time to do a little homework.
I went along to the Feeling Machines Weekender in Bristol in the Spring to get a flavour or what was possible and to talk to others about what they were doing and how they got started. The key seems to be to find a community which you can join and get help and advice when you need it. There is a thriving creative coding community in Bristol, but that is just too far for me in Cambridge. So I joined my local MakeSpace Raspberry Pi club instead.
The good thing about Raspberry Pi as a starting point is that it is relatively cheap (around £40), its Windows interface is familiar, and it is designed to be an entry-level product to start you coding. The CamJam EduKit #2 for just £9 gives you step-by-step instructions for wiring up a simple motion sensor and writing the Python code that goes with it. I was on my way.
Inside a Raspberry Pi
