Arduino Unity SDK to Enable Makers

Arduino and other microcontrollers are the core of most DIY maker/hacker projects. With Alex Caruth and the Mixed Reality Lab at NC State, this project created a code base for makers to use so that they could easily interface an Arduino with Unity either through wired or bluethooth serial.

Originally, the goal of this project was to create a device with Loomia e-textiles that would allow a VR user to feel temperature. We achieved this by using a simple transistor circuit to power a Loomia heating pad with an Arduino. Then, we used a serial connection to control the Arduino outputs from Unity.

In working on the Loomia project, we realized that there was a different opportunity in this. The Arduino could be used to control many devices, not just the Loomia heating pad. From this, we generalized the code to work and control specific Arduino pins in different ways rather than specific devices.