IoT UNPLUGGED: Building Smart Systems with Arduino, Python & APIs

IoT UNPLUGGED: Building Smart Systems with Arduino, Python & APIs is a comprehensive, project-driven guide designed to help students, educators, engineers, researchers, and technology enthusiasts master the fundamentals of the Internet of Things (IoT). Written with a practical, hands-on approach, the book bridges the gap between theory and real-world implementation by guiding readers through the complete lifecycle of building connected systems. Starting with the fundamentals of IoT architecture, readers gradually explore Arduino programming, ESP32 development, sensor interfacing, Python programming, REST APIs, MQTT messaging, cloud communication, and interactive web dashboards. Each chapter combines clear explanations with working code examples, practical exercises, troubleshooting tips, and industry best practices, enabling readers to develop both conceptual understanding and implementation skills. Unlike many introductory IoT books that focus solely on hardware or programming, this book integrates embedded systems, networking, backend development, and data visualization into one cohesive learning journey. By the end of the book, readers will build a complete IoT solution that captures sensor data, communicates over Wi-Fi, processes information using Python APIs, exchanges real-time messages via MQTT, and displays live data through an interactive dashboard while incorporating essential security principles. Whether you are beginning your IoT journey or seeking a practical resource for academic courses and engineering projects, IoT UNPLUGGED provides the knowledge, skills, and confidence to design, build, and deploy modern smart systems using open-source technologies.