Full STEAM Ahead 2026

In session two, the learners visit Powerhouse Castle Hill for a series of coding workshops using the pocket-size BBC micro:bit to help them develop computational thinking, problem-solving and physical computing skills.

How might we teach maths to kids? Well, we have the solution: this is Quiz Bit! A micro:bit that helps do maths equations while still being fun and attractive. Quiz Bit is aimed at kids because they are losing attraction to learning. And the Quiz Bit helps prevent that. With its fun TV-looking design and LED lights, younger kids will be mostly attracted to it. It’s an easy way of teaching younger kids maths while they are being focused. It is a big step for schools, homeschooling, or just trying to teach your kids maths. It’s a small device but a big maths confidence.

This product is an alarm that can be used for anyone; you can use it for cars, yourself, or the elderly. The product is an alarm that when something like a car crash happens, a signal will be sent to the closest police station on another product that is like a sign, but an alarm. This would help save the lives of thousands in our country on our roads, homes, workplaces and so much more.

Pointer Switch is the new way of mobility, providing you access to everyday life that you might not have had before. Pointer Switch creates a world of equality. This product includes a coded micro:bit that transmits radio waves to a separate micro:bit to press a button or turn on a light switch. It includes a button that can be pressed to turn on your light switch. This is aimed for people with less mobility, for example an elder who has trouble getting out of bed. This gives them the opportunity to turn on the light every day, without going to the switch.

Find My Stuff is the innovative solution to the problems many elderly Australians (including those with dementia) face every day: losing their important belongings. Our product contains a transmitter and a receiver with accessible outputs (highly visible lights and a loud noise) to alert the user where their item is. Importantly, the product is available at a market leading price due to the low costs of components.

Happy Beep is the prototype we have created to help children take their medicine in a more interactive and efficient way. Let’s face it: children hate medicine but love toys and creativity, so why not try a different approach for children who hate medicine? The penguin design, flashing lights and button attract children’s attention. Our slogan is: waddle to wellness.

A common problem in the education system is that kids find maths boring. Micro Tron presents multiplication, addition, and subtraction in the funnest way while still keeping maths educational. Kids are encouraged to answer the question at the end of the game.

Our prototype helps non-verbal people communicate their responses. With an LED display fast on their wrists, it’s fast, clear, and fashionable for all. Echo Feather 1 takes your response and displays it on a screen with a click of a button. The watch is lightweight and a great fashion choice.

CBS Bus Stop is the ultimate solution to the issue of early and delayed buses, which can make people in our community unhappy. It provides accurate and up to date information on the time buses will arrive at the bus stop. This prototype is easily accessible with both visual and audible elements, ensuring everyone can use it, regardless of ability. Users press the button twice to activate the sign which informs the bus timetables and then provides an audible voiceover of what was previously presented on screen.

The All-seeing Walking Stick assists blind people with navigation, metal detection, traversing uneven surfaces, and aims to address many movement-related challenges faced by blind people. Its robust build with an adjustable height feature makes it is suitable for all ages, and it comes equipped with sonar at the base, which delivers variable-pitch audio feedback according to the proximity of objects below. It is also highly customisable. For example, it can be Christmas-themed with a candy cane design. The audio feedback can also be customised to user preference, and to avoid disturbing others, it has Bluetooth connection capability.

Our product assists people with invisible sensory disabilities, for example people with autism, to become calm and relaxed. The headphones reduce the amount of stressful and overwhelming noises on public transport or other situations where the user experiences any negative feelings.

Better Meta Glasses are Meta Glasses designed for blind people. It comes with a built-in sensor that beeps when you are close to an object. This can save lives! ‘How?’ you may ask. Well, it can save you from running or walking into any objects or pillars you would have run into otherwise. Buy now for an affordable price of $500! ‘Be Better with Better Meta!’

The Tablet Explorer is our modern innovation for people wanting to learn about history and weekly activities at a library. The device helps improve the education of the community. It has an appealing modern screen aesthetic, which can also help passersby interact with it. It is easy to use, with just two buttons to learn about the history of the library and activities or events coming up. It also has an audio feature that welcomes newcomers.

The playground can be a scary place for young shy kids. The Zen Zone includes a series of arcade style games in a circuit. Made for a calmed down / quiet environment, it’s a simple circuit-based activity for introverted kids. The Zen Zone includes 5 games, each filled with unlimited fun. We have created a game of tug of war as the sample to showcase how these games can be used for a quiet space. Using the micro:bit, it creates a fun, two player game that is perfect for the Zen Zone.

Our prototype allows us to enable everyone in the community to connect via our music robot. Our design uses screenless entertainment to engage the community. As it was made for children, it uses 3 buttons, 2 boxes, a bunch of cardboard and a lot of wire. Our prototype’s simple designs will be able to be used by everyone.

Our product benefits vulnerable people, including the elderly, who forget to take their medicine. The Medi-Reminder includes a variety of compartments for medications that are prescribed to be taken at specific times. The light on the product lights up at those specific times to remind you to take them. Once you take your medicine, you can press the button to turn the light off, acting as a reminder that you have already taken your medication as required.

Libraries are often busy, quiet places, where the staff cannot always spot who needs proper assistance. This can often lead to long waiting times, causing frustration. Luckily, the SmartLibrary Assist Watch can solve that problem. With its communication system designed specifically for library settings, visitors can request access to librarians at any given time. Once they enter the library, they are given a guide on how to work our watch and how to use its simple yet extensive features. There are 3 ways to call for help:

It is a wearable communication system, providing help without ever requiring you to leave your seat.

Our product aims to help kids in playgrounds so everyone gets a fair turn on the swing at the park or even at school. The swing is the most popular play equipment, and we wanted to make sure that everyone had equal time. Swing Time makes sure everyone can have 3 minutes each on the swing. The timer will play a song and the LED light will flash to let the person know when their time is up. This makes it fair and fun for all kids.

The Lookout was designed to solve the issue of care takers not being able to be stationed supervising residents in nursing homes all the time. It answers the question if there was a high falls risk patient, or other patients that have mental or physical health issues that need assistance what would they do?

The Lookout has a sound wave sensor inside the room that can sense if the patient has fallen or requested assistance. It also has a button that can be pressed when the patient wants to request help. This then transmits a signal to the receiver outside the room that turns on an LED light to notify guards or sentries nearby that the patient needs assistance. It also sends a notification / message to the caretaker’s phone that an issue has occurred. This incredible project is aimed for use within nursing homes but is very versatile, so it can also be used in hospitals and childcare facilities.

This product helps people with a disability see the world and access it easier. The product has a motion sensor that creates a beeping noise as an object is getting close to the user. This ensures the user can navigate using the product.

Our device helps the elderly and deaf people know when a person breaks into their home while they are sleeping. We do this via splashing a cup of water on the sleeping person’s face. Our device consists of two separate devices: the first device is hung on a doorknob and waits until the door is opened, sending a signal to the second device. The second device receiving this signal starts flashing lights and tips water onto the sleeping person’s face, alarming them of the intruder in their house. The device can be deactivated by pressing a button connected to the device twice.

The Petssure Plate aims to help elderly and disabled pet owners let their pets outside. We promote healthy, active pets while reducing mental or physical strain for owners. When your pet goes out, the plate triggers a blinking light and sound notifications: the light blinks three times and the door opens for 20 seconds, letting your pet have some time before the door closes. It is shaped like a cat, as its intended use was for pets that are mainly cats and dogs. It is easy to use and to set up, and even easier on life’s ever-growing strain. The Petssure Plate was designed for the elderly and disabled, though it can also give peace of mind to anybody and reduce stress.

MedMax is your personal companion that eases the problem of the elderly forgetting to take their medicine. The design of our product represents ‘man’s best friend’, a dog, so the elderly have company while family is out. How it works is that the medicine is stored in his head and dispenses out of his mouth. This product is run on micro:bit technology and dispenses the medicine for every set amount of time, depending on the medicine and its requirements, for example 6 hours, which resets after every dispense. It also has wheels to deliver its medicines on time anywhere around the house. It can be placed on a nightstand or next to the user’s bed, for ease of access. While this is meant for the elderly with memory problems, MedMax can also be used for people with other illnesses or conditions such as schizophrenia and ADHD.

Silent Voices solves the problem of non-verbal people not being able to communicate, whether it’s because of speaking disabilities or any other issues. This prototype helps people communicate with the press of a button: the voice projection is said out loud, and the words appear on the other micro:bit screen. Silent Voices can easily be carried around places because of radio transmission. The materials we have currently used are two buttons, two micro:bits, four alligator clips and two cardboard boxes. The micro:bits communicate with each other through radio transmission, where one is activated by a button, and the other shows the required message.

The Shakenator is an accessible device that can be used by the elderly, people with a disability, and people with special needs. It solves the issue of safety for these groups of people in a wearable device that sends radio waves when the device is shaken: the signal is sent to a loved one, carer or anyone else of significance, alerting them that the person wearing the device may be in trouble. Signals include a light on the top, a ringtone and the display on the micro:bit shows the words ‘EMERGENCY’. It can also be switched off after attending to the notification.