Open Electronics in Comparative Physiology Workshop

Workshop Leader: Sergey Morozov, University of Helsinki, Finland, sergey.morozov@helsinki.fi 

This three-hour workshop is devoted to the fundamentals of open electronics and its practical applications in comparative physiology. The program will include a brief theoretical portion followed by hands-on experience to learn how to work with open electronics systems as an attractive alternative to commercial setups.

The workshop will introduce and compare Arduino and Raspberry Pi, two popular prototyping platforms used in physiological research and animal facilities. Workshop leaders will also give an overview to different sensors and output devices available on the market. Initial costs of equipment and the potential for customization, including unique setups and novel experiments, will be discussed.

Students will be split into small groups to assemble an Arduino-based prototype. Using microcontrollers, sensors, motors and buttons, students will learn how to collect data from probes, control environmental conditions and operate output devices.

The workshop will include a brain-storming session to generate new ideas of various research-specific applications of the studied tools and techniques to help students to consider how to use open electronics systems in their own research.

Learning objectives:

• Learn the basic parts of open electronics systems, their integration and possible applications in physiological research.
• Provide hands-on experience to build up an open-electronics device based on the Arduino platform.

Learning outcomes:

• Students will understand the basic principles of electronics systems and discuss their possible research-specific applications.
• Students will be able to build up a prototype device from several open electronics elements and use it as a data acquisition tool.

Prerequisites:

• Laptop with installed Arduino IDE,
• Arduino board (optional) (available at Amazon or Arduino Store).