The 1 Reason Now Is The Best Time For Makers To Incorporate Microcontrollers Into Builds
Once I learned how to incorporate microcontrollers into projects, I never looked back.
Maybe I gravitated toward custom LEDs because I can’t stand overhead lighting or the lamps that I could find in stores. Maybe it was that I wanted to build out Star Wars projects that felt like they interact with me. Whatever the reason, stores do not sell what I was looking for and learning the skills to build it is my only option.
But everyone should learn how to incorporate microcontrollers into their projects in 2026 for one key reason.
The Reason: AI Understands Coding
Now that Ai models like Claude and ChatGPT can output code, there is no reason not to lean how to leverage microcontrollers.
All you have to do is tell the AI the exact microcontroller you’re using, like an Arduino or ESP32. You will also need to tell it what you have hooked up to the pins on the board so it knows where LEDs, buttons, or any other components are plugged in. Then, exactly what you want to do and the code comes right out.
It will likely take some back and forth, but it’s likely most of the way complete.
How To Start
Before you can ask AI to code you anything, you need to fully understand exactly what you want to accomplish with the project.
Are you working on lighting that is static, but needs to change with buttons? Or do you need more advanced capabilities like motion or light detection so that it reacts to motion or other things happening? What will also help is to understand the constraints of the project itself such as where the electronics will go, how the wires will be hidden, and where components like LEDs, detectors, and buttons and switches will be located.
A full idea of what you want to occur now helps identify the components you need, but also inform the AI of how to help code the solution.
