Welcome to Andasonmajid Tech on this post i will share my knowledge on how to Build Robots and Smart Projects without being Electronic Engineer
When most people think of robotics or projects involving motors, sensors, and other electronic components, they often imagine you need to be an expert in electronics or electrical engineering. That belief alone stops many software developers from exploring the exciting world of robotics and hardware integration. But the truth is you don’t necessarily need to be an electronic engineer to bring your ideas to life. With the right tools and mindset, all you really need is programming knowledge.
My Journey: From Software to Hardware
For years, I’ve been working as a software developer, building different types of applications using my core programming language (Java). I felt very comfortable in that world: writing code, deploying applications, and delivering solutions to clients on time. I understood software deeply, but hardware always seemed like another universe something reserved for engineers with a strong background in electronics and circuit design.
When Artificial Intelligence (AI) started gaining attention, I began to think of new ways to apply my skills to real-world problems. One particular idea inspired me: developing a customer feedback system that could interact with people automatically. My concept was to use a motion sensor or distance sensor to detect when a customer approached a kiosk. Based on the customer’s distance, the kiosk would trigger a friendly invitation for the customer to provide feedback.
At first, I assumed this would require diving deep into microcontrollers like Arduino, learning C programming, and gaining advanced electronic knowledge. And honestly, that felt overwhelming. I wasn’t ready to start from scratch in a completely new field.
Discovering Phidgets: A Game-Changer
After spending days researching online, I stumbled upon a company called Phidgets. This was a turning point. Phidgets develops plug-and-play electronic devices such as sensors, controllers, and interfaces, designed to be programmer-friendly. The beauty of their solution is that instead of spending weeks learning how to wire circuits and code in C for microcontrollers, you can use the programming languages you already know like Java, Python, C#, Swift, JavaScript, and more to directly control these devices.
This was exactly what I needed. With Phidgets, I could bridge my existing programming knowledge with hardware development, without being held back by the steep learning curve of electronics engineering.
Getting Hands-On with Sensors
I decided to order a Phidget Distance Sensor along with its supportive devices, such as the VINT Hub and necessary cables. Within two weeks, the package arrived.
The technical setup was surprisingly simple:
Connect the Phidget device to your computer.
Import the Phidget API into your project.
Start coding using the same familiar language (Java, in my case).
Phidget had already done the hard work of developing a robust API to interact with their devices. All I had to do was focus on the logic of my application, not the low-level hardware details.
Within a short time, I was able to complete my prototype for the customer feedback kiosk using the distance sensor. It felt like magic suddenly, I wasn’t just writing software anymore. I was building an interactive system that blended the digital and physical worlds.
Why This Matters for Developers
This experience taught me something powerful:
You don’t need to be limited to software alone.
You don’t need to become an electronics guru.
You don’t need to learn a new, unfamiliar programming language just to work with hardware.
With the right tools like Phidgets you can take the skills you already have and apply them to exciting new areas such as robotics, IoT (Internet of Things), automation, and smart devices.
For developers out there who have always wanted to explore hardware projects but felt discouraged by the technical barriers, I want to encourage you it’s possible If you know how to code, you’re already halfway there.
Final Thoughts
Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t give up when I first thought hardware projects were out of my reach. Discovering Phidgets opened up a whole new world of opportunities, and it allowed me to expand my creativity beyond traditional software development.
Today, I’m excited to continue experimenting with sensors and robotics, and more importantly, to share this journey with other developers who may be in the same position I was. If you’ve ever dreamed of building a robot, a smart device, or a sensor-driven project you don’t have to be an electronics engineer. All you need is the curiosity to try and the coding skills you already have.
Thank you very much.
