Getting Started: Reading Bosch Sensor Data on the Badge with MicroPython (WHY2025)

This talk introduces participants to the Bosch BMI270 (inertial sensor) and BME690 (environmental sensor) on the WHY2025 Hackathon Badge. After a brief overview of MEMS technology and how these tiny sensors are made and used, we’ll dive into a hands-on session showing how to read sensor data using MicroPython — so you can start experimenting right away. MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems) sensors are miniature, highly precise components that detect motion, position, and environmental conditions. They are widely used in smartphones, cars, wearables, and smart home devices and are manufactured in specialized cleanrooms using advanced semiconductor processes. This talk starts with a short introduction covering: What are MEMS? How are they made? What can the Bosch BMI270 (6-axis IMU) and BME690 (gas, humidity, temperature, and pressure sensor) do? After this overview, we’ll switch to a practical session: you’ll learn how to get started with MicroPython to access real-time sensor data on the WHY2025 Badge. By the end, you’ll be ready to experiment with your own ideas and prototypes based on the badge’s powerful sensing capabilities. Licensed to the public under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ about this event: https://program.why2025.org/why2025/talk/9HUFEX/