Cheating mobile step counters

Got involved in an inter-agency stepping competition using an app-based pedometer. It seemed kinda accurate but inevitably, my curiosity drifted towards trying to figure out how to automatically gain steps while watching TV.

Cue my trusty Arduino, a small RC car servo, some blu tac and some precisely tweaked variables. Took a while to find the optimum ‘swing, pause, swing back’ timings. Too quick and it didn’t register the pauses either end. Too slow and it didn’t think it was a complete step. Eventually arrived at the Goldilocks setting. Just right.

Here’s the result. Works with a FitBit too btw.

<iframe width=”560″ height=”315″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/ptkaEJiKVuw” frameborder=”0″ allow=”autoplay; encrypted-media” allowfullscreen></iframe>