Step 1: Make it
What is it?
Turn your micro:bit into a step counter (or pedometer) to help you track how active you are - and learn some coding at the same time!
These two videos show you what you'll make and how to code it:
Introduction
Coding guide
How it works
- Like the Dice project this program uses the micro:bit’s accelerometer to make something happen.
- It counts how many times the micro:bit has been shaken. It stores this number in a variable called ‘steps’.
- Variables are used by computers to store information that may change, such as the number of steps you’ve taken.
- Every time the micro:bit accelerometer input senses a shake, the program increases the variable by 1, and shows the new number on the LED display output.
What you need
- micro:bit (or MakeCode simulator)
- MakeCode or Python editor
- battery pack (optional)
- something to attach the micro:bit to your shoe or leg – string, tape or Velcro.
Step 2: Code it
Step 3: Improve it
- Add a button to reset the steps to 0.
- Add a graphical representation of how many steps you’ve taken.
- Measure the length of your average step and get your micro:bit to multiply this by the number of steps to calculate the distance you’ve walked.
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