10 steps counter

What is it?

Add this project to your micro:bit and it will count your steps. When it has counted 10, it will play a tune and show a happy face on its LED display. You will learn about variables and logic.

How it works

• Attach the micro:bit and battery pack to your shoe or ankle with the micro:bit wearable, place it inside your sock, or just hold it in your hand and shake it as you walk.
• Take a few steps. The number of steps you've taken is shown on the LED display.
• The program includes a variable called ‘steps’, which stores the number of steps that have been taken. Variables are containers for storing data, which can be accessed and updated while a program is running.
• The micro:bit’s accelerometer input senses when your foot moves. The program instructs the micro:bit to increase the number in the ‘steps’ variable by 1 every time your foot moves or the micro:bit is shaken.
• When you have taken 10 steps, a happy icon will appear on the display and a tune will play.
• A forever loop is used in the program to get the micro:bit to keep checking if the number of steps taken is 10. Logic then tells the micro:bit what to do. If the number of steps taken is equal to 10 then the micro:bit is told to display a happy icon and play a tune.

What you need

• a micro:bit
• MakeCode editor
• battery pack
• optional speaker and crocodile clips if you are using a micro:bit V1

Code your project

Here are the blocks you need to make the project - now put them together.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Open the project to find the blocks you need using the buttons above.
2. Find the set steps to 0 block and put it inside the on start block. This will ensure that, when the program starts, the initial value of the variable steps is 0.
3. Find the change steps by 1 block and put it inside the on shake block.
4. Find the show number steps block and put it inside the on shake block underneath the change steps by 1 block.
5. Find the if steps = 10 then block and put it inside the forever block. This will keep the micro:bit continually checking to see if the number of steps counted is 10.
6. Now tell the micro:bit what to do if the number of steps is 10. Get the show icon happy block and put it inside the if steps = 10 then block.
7. Find the remaining play melody dadadum block and put it inside the if steps = 10 then block, underneath the show icon happy block.
8. Download the program to your micro:bit and try it out! 

Make it your own

• Use the drop-down arrow on the show icon block to show a different icon when you have walked 10 steps. Which icon is your favourite? There are 40 to choose from.
• Change the number in the if then block to a higher number than 10 so that the happy icon appears and the tune plays after you have been more active. How many steps do you want to walk a day?

Example of a completed project

Take a peek at some completed code