Preface

Tinkering is an art. While not a fine art, its importance in our society has never been greater. With all the technology available today, it would be easy to let other people figure everything out for us and to never question their information, judgments, or decisions. But that’s not smart for you or for the future of innovation.

Is This Book for You?

This book is a kick in the pants for anyone interested in (even remotely) information technology (IT), coding, design, or physical computing. These aren’t career paths in their infancy; these jobs are here today. This book can help you explore these critical fields using a fun, readily accessible toy that’s popular in many office settings and toy boxes: NERF foam dart blasters. So whether you’re in the fifth grade or a 55-year-old hobbyist, dig in and get ready to explore something new.

Worried?

Even if you don’t know UI from IT, you soon will. This book is written for beginners who want to learn a bit about coding and physical computing. The projects are easy to understand (and easy on the wallet). The code is all open source. The parts are easy to acquire. Many great companies began in a garage. Maybe yours is a launching pad, too.

Go Ahead, Turn the Page

If you’re ready, we can get started right now with a little history, although not the boring kind with dudes in white wigs. This project’s pedigree is arcade video games, handheld hacks, and odd mods. Let the fun begin!

Bryce Bigger