Matt Cottam wrote in to let us know about a huge development. Now you can use Android Open Accessory boards like the Arduino Mega ADK without needing to develop directly in the Android SDK: you can write your Android code using Processing for Android:

This week we’re happy to update that list of toolkits with a suite of materials focused on connecting any Android device (mobile or tablet) with the Arduino ADK microcontroller, with the Processing language to tie them together. The materials – a combination of “how-to” installation guides, working Arduino and Processing sample code, and educational exercises – walk through the set-up process and provide some basic starters for making a functional application or game. The 25 samples include modules such as the code you need to create a “color picker” on the Android and have it drive the color of an LED attached to the Arduino, or to send an RFID number from a scanner to the phone, or to create a basic oscilloscope by graphing the output of a potentiometer on the Android screen. It’s tailored to get beginners going, or to give more experienced coders a quick leg up in using the three (Android, Processing, and Arduino) together.

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All of the materials are open source and available here.

We’re glad to continue our mobile hacking / sketchtools tradition, and feedback is welcome (we’re always looking to improve). We look forward to hearing and seeing what you do with the materials.

Tellart: Android + Processing + Arduino