We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. There's a certain charm in seeing simple electronic systems at work. Don't you just get excited as you watch a mobile robot solve a maze or ...

I'm happy to flag this one, a new volume of the Arduino Project Handbook. Volume 2 sees twenty-five more beginner-friendly electronics projects, revolving around the Atmel AVR-based Arduino Uno board.

Diving into the world of DIY electronics can be quite daunting and overwhelming. There's the matter of picking the right components to use, learning the hand tools, and understanding the software.

Many beginners have a notion that programming an Arduino makes them embedded engineers. But real skills start much deeper.