Personality

It is hard to see the monster’s true personality when all we see is electronics.

Grab some craft materials and lets dress it up! Experiment with different ideas and materials.

Measure the Board

Before we build anything, it is good to know what we are working with.

The bit:booster measures 80mm wide by 72mm tall. If you notice that both measurements are factors of 8, that’s not a coincidence because the bit:booster is designed to align and snap into Lego bricks. Each Lego stud is 8mm apart and 4.9mm diameter.

The side holes on the bit:booster will snap onto Lego studs. Grab some Lego and see explore how they might give some personality.

This worksheet has some scale templates of the board and the location of the lights.

Make, experiment… and make again

Grab any craft materials you can find and start making. Start simple with paper prototypes to get an idea of what you want to make. The start experimenting with different materials. Remember, if you print this template, you can use it to sketch and cut out paper “skins” for your monster like the one below.

What happens when you cover the lights? Do they look different when the material is held close to them or far away?

Additional Considerations

As you create a new skin for your monster, remember to leave access to the USB port on the top of the micro:bit so that you can easily upload new programs. If the skin doesn’t allow for easy access, consider designing the skin to be easy to remove and replace so that you can keep updating your code.