The Arduino IoT Cloud is Arduino’s physical computing platform. Companies as well as universities, school classes or other educational institutions can easily and securely implement with the IoT Cloud projects. Learn more about the Arduino IoT Cloud, key features and simple workflows in this guide.
The Arduino IoT Cloud briefly explained
The Arduino IoT Cloud is designed to connect sensors or other hardware to business applications in the cloud and to be able to view and edit this data remotely.
The Arduino IoT Cloud consists of easy-to-use, open-source hardware and software. Not only can the more than 100 Arduino hardware products such as shields, kits, boards, carriers and other accessories be connected to this cloud, but also third-party products.
The development environment of the Arduino IoT Cloud is based on the object-oriented programming language Processing. It offers even beginners a complete end-to-end platform for the Internet of Things – including easy access to microcontrollers and programming. With its ease of use, it has already won the trust of millions of users.
If you only want to connect two Arduino devices to the cloud, you can even do so with the free version. Entry-level access (10 devices) is also available at a low price of $1.99 per month. In this way, projects can be tested in advance without any financial risk.
From school to company: Cloud-based IoT for all cases
With these properties, the Arduino IoT Cloud is a good solution for familiarizing schoolchildren and students with networked projects and the Internet of Things. The first entry-level projects are implemented quickly and safely. But even more complex tasks can be implemented well with it.This hands-on learning prepares young people for their future careers and increases their understanding of the world and technology around them. Most importantly, it improves their STEM skills, giving them a head start when looking for a job. Because the cloud has become indispensable in companies. According to a current Bitkom study, 84 percent of all German companies now use cloud computing.
The Arduino IoT Cloud is also often used in a professional environment. It is a secure and scalable environment for the development of new products and solutions. The API also offers the option of creating your own applications. And suitable hardware such as the powerful Arduino Portenta X8 board leaves nothing to be desired by developers with AI functions and maximum computing density. Arduino offers the right hardware and cloud environment for everything from entry-level schools to high-performance professional applications.
Arduino IoT Cloud in action! Monitor and visualize sensor data
The Arduino Pro Series offers both businesses and educational institutions a variety of sensors and control units and connectivity modules to collect measurement data and connect devices. The IoT Cloud is the platform on which this collected data can be stored, pre-processed, evaluated and visualized in one place. It is also possible to control devices from anywhere via the cloud.
The plug-and-play solution with Arduino hardware is particularly helpful for schoolchildren and students to get started quickly, because it allows them to connect their devices to the Arduino IoT cloud quickly and easily without having to make complicated configurations. Clear dashboards, automatic code generation and the abundance of examples and templates enable the first sense of achievement and show students a tangible benefit of their IoT project. The Arduino MKR Zero is ideal for beginner projects. The small development board is particularly suitable for learning 32-bit application development. Additional hardware such as the Arduino Due microUSB microcontroller and the Arduino Proto Shield R3 help students to easily learn and start circuits.
The example of the White Mountains Regional High School in the US state of New Hampshire shows how quickly students can implement IoT projects with it: There, students from the fields of computer technology, environment and sustainability as well as mechanics and manufacturing have an automated, with the help of the Arduino IoT Cloud Internet connected greenhouse built.
User-friendliness and IoT functionalities are also important aspects in professional use. Companies in the manufacturing sector equip their machines with sensors in order to be able to monitor them better or to check the quality of the manufactured products. By connecting the Arduino Portenta Vision Shield’s high-sensitivity image sensors and camera to the powerful Arduino Portenta H7, engineers can run machine learning applications. But less complex maintenance tasks are also possible, for example with the affordable and compact Arduino Nano 33 IoT.Cloud features such as monitoring and control with the dashboard widget on a smartphone or the ability to use real-time sensor data directly in a spreadsheet save engineers valuable time. In addition, the monitoring can be controlled in a targeted manner by uploading function scripts and sending them to various sensors.
Teamwork made easy through the cloud
A decisive factor for the success of a project is the cooperation in the team – this applies to student projects as well as in the working environment. Using the Arduino IoT Cloud, teams or classes can share sketches or dashboards from anywhere and collaborate on projects. Photos, videos and project documentation can be attached directly to code sketches to create collaborative project reports. These can then be shared for feedback or submitted directly to Google Classroom.
The Arduino IoT Cloud can also make life easier for teachers. For example, they can share templates, exercises, tutorials or documentation with their students – either via Google Classroom or via direct links. In addition, they can easily manage course schedules: for example, by determining who has access to the schedule function, or by changing classes and courses.
Simple workflows with the Arduino IoT Cloud
In addition to the functionalities already mentioned, there are a number of interesting advantages that make working with the Arduino IoT Cloud particularly easy. For example, sensor inputs such as light, pressure, or messages can be easily read and converted into outputs. These expenses could be: posting messages, raising and lowering blinds, or turning on lights. In addition, a microcontroller is available to which instructions can be sent in order to give orders to a development board. This works with the Arduino programming language (Wiring based) and the Arduino software IDE (Processing based).
As already mentioned, the Arduino IoT Cloud is based on open source. So the code is open to a community of developers, companies, public institutions, hobbyists and artists who contribute, publish and develop their ideas. The Arduino community is huge, diverse and international. It therefore offers a wealth of different projects, templates and inspiration. You can also exchange ideas with other community members about your own projects and plans. This constant exchange also ensures that working with Arduino is influenced by new, relevant issues and is constantly being adapted.
IoT for educational institutions and companies
With the Arduino IoT Cloud, the company offers a valuable addition to the existing range of hardware and development environments. The seamless integration of the hardware into the cloud and the numerous templates and libraries make it easy for pupils and students to get started with IoT technology. The IoT Cloud from Arduino is by no means purely a learning tool. It offers capacities, functionalities and scalability at a professional level and is therefore also worthwhile for companies.
In the reichelt online shop you will find a wide range of Arduino products as well as other products compatible with the Arduino IoT Cloud.
Images: Arduino, Adobe Stock
