Physical Computing for Artists and Creative Coders

Physical computing is where code leaves the screen and starts sensing, reacting to and moving things in the real world. This hub gathers Demos Lab's guides on Arduino, microcontrollers, sensors, depth cameras and interactive hardware. It is written for artists, designers and creative coders who build installations, prototypes and responsive objects.

What you'll find here

Arduino and microcontroller projects

Hands-on builds with boards like Arduino, ESP32 and Raspberry Pi Pico, from blinking a first LED to wiring a complete interactive piece.

Sensors and input

Practical walkthroughs on reading light, distance, motion, touch and sound, then smoothing noisy readings into data your sketches can rely on.

Kinect and depth cameras

How to use Kinect and newer depth sensors for body tracking, gesture control and point-cloud visuals in tools like Processing, openFrameworks and TouchDesigner.

Interactive hardware for installations

Working advice on motors, LEDs, power supplies, enclosures and serial communication so your project holds up through weeks in a gallery as well as an afternoon on your desk.