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  • Author Author: tariq.ahmad
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micro:bit DIY Compass -- The Learning Circuit 57

 

 

Along with many other features, the BBC micro:bit has a built-in compass. The built-in magnetometer can sense the magnetic poles of the Earth. Navigational compasses usually have a piece of metal that is attracted to either the north or south pole of the Earth so that its arrow always points North. Watch as Karen shows how to make a more technical compass that can display not only arrows, but also the name of the direction being faced.

 

Bill of Material:

 

Product NameManufacturerQuantityBuy KitBuy Kit
BBC micro:bit go + 3V battery holder, USBBBC MICRO:BIT1Buy NowBuy Now
MAGNET, 1.6X1.6X12.7, H-31-MAGNETHamlin1Buy NowBuy Now
Attachments:
TLC_57_Code.zip

  • Hello mam

    Karen

    hope you will be fine

    Iam new here few moments ago

    I join.

    Thanks a lot for sharing your unique experience

  • Adding it to a rover bot you could perhaps recreate some of the features of the Milton Bradley 'Big Trak' toy from the 80's, or recreate a turtle type robot. Using the compass it should help with getting it to run straight over longer distances but you still would have the issue of measuring distance and traction slip.

    However it could be scaled up as a beach scribing robot or a field/sports hall marking robot using the compass for direction.

     

    It could also perhaps be incorporated into some orienteering type games where the next waypoint could be generated programmatically with automated logging of waypoint markers when reached. Also if for example you wanted to have people finishing the course all at around the same time to fit an itinerary, then you could add additional waypoints for the faster people and skip some for the slower people. Points could still be awarded but on number of waypoints rather than overall time. This would be likely be more difficult for traditional orienteering exercises and thus a plus for the technology.

  • The display is a bit limited but you could perhaps create a treasure map type game where you create a starting location e.g. garden tree and then have to 'walk 10 paces North, walk 5 paces East, etc.' and X finally marks the spot. Digging is optional but not always appreciated...

     

    The display could perhaps be enhanced by adding a ring of 36 LEDs around the micro:bit (high density addressable pixel LED strip formed into a ring ?) which would then give you 10degree intervals. North could be indicated by a steady red LED and then optionally a desired heading indicated by another colour or a flashing LED. A series of waypoints could be stored and recalled, with the LED matrix on the micro:bit scrolling text messages. 

     

    Could also perhaps add an OLED display to get a higher resolution display for the compass needle.

     

    Logging of data is one advantage over a traditional compass so perhaps the compass combined with an accelerometer used as a pedometer could give you a log of direction and number of steps which could allow you to map out areas where GPS is ineffective, e.g. wooded areas.