Sensor Designer
(Reps Counter) with Microbit

Sensor Designer (Reps Counter) introduces students to the fundamentals of wearable technology through a real-world challenge — building a working rep counter for our local partner, CrossFit Dauntless Gym. Using the Micro:bit, students will design a device that detects movement and counts Wall Ball reps accurately and reliably.

Throughout the course, children will explore how sensors "see" the physical world by considering motion detection, thresholds, and data display. They will design and prototype their own counter, experiment with features such as rep tracking and visual feedback, and test their ideas with peers to refine accuracy. Students will also think about the gym environment and how athletes will interact with their device mid-workout. Students will learn key concepts of sensor logic, variables, inputs and outputs, and conditional programming through hands-on creation. They will also develop creativity, problem-solving, empathy, and iterative thinking as they design for real users in a real setting.

By the end of the course, students will have built a functional Micro:bit fitness device designed for a live client and understand how engineering decisions impact real-world performance.