Open-source Hardware for Ecologists: Using the Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms for logging ecological data

While open-source software may get much of the attention these days, the past decade has also seen the emergence and popularization of numerous open-source hardware platforms: specifically, micro-controller boards whose design is made freely available and modification by others is encouraged. This Ignite talk will highlight two of the most popular open hardware projects--the Arduino and Raspberry Pi platforms. The talk will also showcase an example of how these low-cost devices can be used in concert with cheaply available environmental sensors to log and upload environmental monitoring data for ecological research projects.