For ACDC 2026, our team embraced the motto “Integrate into everything that flips bits” to its fullest. To claim the Embedding Numbnuts badge, we created a solution that connects the physical world to the cloud and back to a local machine, using a chain of low-cost hardware, serverless functions, and custom Python servers.
Our goal was simple: detect physical motion and trigger a webcam snapshot. The magic, however, is in the integration.
The Heavy Mine Machine of Bits
Our solution is a testament to connecting disparate components to achieve a single goal. Here’s how it works:
- The Trigger: micro:bit and PIR Sensor
At the edge, a micro:bit running MicroPython constantly monitors a Passive Infrared (PIR) sensor. When motion is detected, this tiny, low-power device connects to WiFi and prepares to send a signal. It’s the physical heartbeat of our project.[Image: The micro:bit and sensor setup in action] - The Bridge: Azure Functions
The micro:bit sends a lightweight HTTP POST request to a serverless Azure Function. This function acts as a highly reliable and scalable bridge. It decouples the low-power device from the main application logic, ensuring that the signal is received and processed, no matter what. - The Action: The Webcam Server
Upon receiving the trigger from the micro:bit, the Azure Function calls a simple Python-based web server running on a local machine. This server has one job: to access the computer’s webcam. - The Capture: The Snapshot
The webcam server takes a snapshot and saves the image. This completes the journey from a physical motion event to a digital artifact, crossing boundaries between embedded systems, cloud infrastructure, and local hardware.
This project perfectly captures the spirit of the “Embedding Numbnuts” badge. By linking a micro:bit, a cloud function, and a local Python server, we’ve demonstrated how even the smallest devices can be part of a larger, interconnected system. It’s a fun, slightly over-engineered, and powerful example of integrating everything that can flip a bit. GO 404!
Now lest see what else we can do for the next badge 😉