High-level abstraction for teaching smart systems design with modular hardware

This paper discusses the utilization of modular hardware devices in an educational context. As the leading platform for such purposes, we first describe the ingredients at the origin of Arduino's success. Examples of student projects and seminars based on this platform will illustrate how Arduino triggers innovation by providing an accessible programming interface and rich reusable content. Based on several experiences, we describe the design of a platform environment for smart wireless sensors reusing key concepts from Arduino to facilitate and accelerate development and deployment time. The usage of the new platform and design interface in student projects is described as well.