Lesson 7 of 7
Design Your Own Gadget
Plan a real-world gadget, choose sensors and actuators, and present your design.
Learn it
Every good gadget starts with a clear problem and a user in mind.
You choose inputs and outputs based on what the gadget needs to sense and control.
A design is only useful if you can explain it clearly to someone else.
Key terms
- Bill of Materials
- A list of all the parts needed to build a project, with quantities and estimated costs.
- Prototype
- An early version of a product built to test an idea.
- User Requirement
- A statement of what the user needs the product to do.
- Design Iteration
- A cycle of building, testing and improving a design.
Gadget Design Checklist
Before building, answer these questions.
- 1Problem: What real problem does your gadget solve?
- 2User: Who will use it and where?
- 3Inputs: What sensors does it need?
- 4Outputs: What actuators or displays will show results?
- 5Power: Will it run on batteries, USB or mains power?
- 6Safety: What could go wrong, and how will you prevent it?
Smart Plant Waterer Design
python# Pseudocode for a plant watering gadget
while True:
soil = read_moisture_sensor()
if soil < 30:
run_pump_for(seconds=2)
log_event('watered')
display.show(water_icon if soil < 30 else happy_icon)
sleep(60000) # check once per minuteThis design reads soil moisture, waters the plant when dry, logs the event and shows a status icon.
Try it
Put the engineering design cycle steps in a sensible order.
- 1Improve the design based on what you learned
- 2Build a prototype and test it
- 3Sketch a design and list the parts needed
- 4Research existing solutions and sensors
- 5Define the problem and who it is for
Challenge
Design a gadget that helps a student with a disability or a busy routine. Describe the problem, the sensors and actuators you would use, and write pseudocode for the main loop.
Pick whichever way suits you — every mode earns the same bonus XP.
Write at least 40 more characters to submit.
Mark your own work
Guided walkthrough — 0/5 clues revealed
- Clue 1 locked — reveal it only if you get stuck.
- Clue 2 locked — reveal it only if you get stuck.
- Clue 3 locked — reveal it only if you get stuck.
- Clue 4 locked — reveal it only if you get stuck.
- Clue 5 locked — reveal it only if you get stuck.
Each clue costs 5 XP (never below 25 XP). You'd earn 50 XP right now.
Extension: Create a simple labelled diagram and a bill of materials with estimated costs.