Tom Igoe

Tom Igoe is a professor of Interactive Telecommunications at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and a founding member of the Arduino development team. He has written multiple influential books on physical computing and electronics prototyping, including "Making Things Talk" and "Physical Computing: Sensing and Controlling the Physical World with Computers." As an educator and technologist, Igoe specializes in physical computing, networking, and the relationship between the physical and digital worlds. His work focuses on making complex technical concepts accessible to artists, designers, and other creative professionals who want to incorporate technology into their projects. Through his involvement with Arduino, Igoe has helped shape how people learn and work with microcontrollers and electronics. His teaching materials and documentation have become standard references in physical computing education, particularly in art and design schools. Igoe's research and practice extend beyond academia into the broader maker movement, where he has contributed to developing tools and methodologies for creative technology projects. He regularly speaks at conferences and workshops about physical computing, the Internet of Things, and tangible interaction design.

Tom Igoe's readers point to his clear explanations of complex technical topics, particularly in "Making Things Talk" and "Physical Computing." Students and hobbyists note his step-by-step approach helps break down Arduino and electronics concepts for beginners. Readers appreciate: - Code examples that work without modifications - Real-world project scenarios - Thorough documentation of components needed - Progressive learning structure from basic to advanced Common criticisms: - Some examples become outdated as technology changes - Projects can require expensive components - Basic concepts sometimes explained too briefly - Some readers want more troubleshooting guidance On Goodreads, "Making Things Talk" averages 3.9/5 stars from 168 ratings. Amazon reviews average 4.3/5 stars across his books. Multiple readers mention using his books as course textbooks. One Amazon reviewer wrote: "The author presents complex material in digestible chunks without dumbing it down." Another noted: "Could use more debugging tips when things go wrong."

Making Things Talk: Using Sensors, Networks, and Arduino to See, Hear, and Feel Your World - A guide to creating physical computing projects that communicate with other devices and with the internet, using microcontrollers and various networking protocols.

Physical Computing: Sensing and Controlling the Physical World with Computers - An introduction to the fundamentals of physical computing, covering sensors, microcontrollers, and basic electronics for interactive projects.

Beginning NFC: Near Field Communication with Arduino, Android, and PhoneGap - A technical manual on implementing Near Field Communication technology in projects using various platforms and programming environments.

Making Things See: 3D vision with Kinect, Processing, Arduino, and MakerBot - A practical guide to using 3D vision sensors and cameras in interactive computing projects, with specific focus on the Microsoft Kinect.