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The Arduino group is made up of a diverse range of practitioners, including electrical engineers, web developers, artists, and musicians. Alongside seasoned Arduino users and regular members, newcomers to the platform often attend, seeking information and advice on the platform.

The free exchange of ideas and advice at these meetings has helped to build and sustain a community around the platform. Speakers are regularly arranged to present their work and research, and generally promote enthusiasm for the platform, with even initial ‘one-off’ speakers returning as regular attendees to take advantage of the knowledge, expertise, and input available.

Projects discussed and developed within the group have included a MIDI-enabled laser harp (as well as other electronic instruments), an ecosystem of robotic furniture, a GPS-aware kettle, and an Internet-enabled fish tank. Alongside more technically focused talks, the group focuses on other issues surrounding the technology, and recently had a presentation from a visual anthropologist who studied the impact of open-source technology in rural and impoverished communities in India.

Here are two great examples of Arduino projects produced by group members:

Chris Ball’s Laser Harp and Hayden Kibble’s Arduino Fish Tank.

Also, check out James Medd’s blog (which is full of Arduino), and Rebecca Toop’s recent Indian Arduino investigation.