Arduino is an open-source electronics platform that allows users to create interactive electronic objects and environments. It consists of affordable hardware, easy-to-use software, and a large community of makers and developers. Arduino boards contain a microcontroller, input/output pins to interact with sensors and devices, and a USB port for programming. Users write code using the Arduino programming language, which is based on C/C++, and load it onto the board using the Arduino IDE software. The Arduino community shares projects and resources online to support a wide range of applications from art to robotics to home automation.