Arduino is an open-source microcontroller board designed to make electronics projects more accessible. It consists of an Atmel microcontroller and standard connectors that allow it to interface with a variety of sensors and actuators. The Arduino IDE software makes programming easy with features like syntax highlighting and the ability to compile and upload code with one click. Arduino boards can sense the environment through inputs and affect their surroundings through outputs, making the platform popular for prototyping and building interactive objects.