Acquiring data from the environment is the fundamental function of any autonomous system. And on the Arduino, this feature is so simple and powerful. We can find sensors for anything these days, from high radiation to sound. Most of them even share the same interface, so connecting and using them is easy once we understand the simple logic underneath. In this chapter, we will dive into the most common groups of sensors and we will see how easy it is to use them.

We can acquire interesting and useful sensors from DIY electronics and robotics shops. Online, These could be Sparkfun, Pololu, Adafruit, and Technobots, just to name a few.