Arduino is an open-source electronics platform that uses easy-to-use hardware and software. It can use either a microprocessor, like those in phones, which can sequentially perform different tasks, or a microcontroller, like the "brain of a robot", which focuses on a single function. Arduino is simple but can enable more complex creations by allowing users to modify its code. For a school project, the document's author plans to use Arduino to create examples of different types of user experiences for an exhibition, and to build working prototypes.