One such DIY-er who goes by Ben Hur Gonçalves posted a project on Instructables for a smartwatch that includes an Altitude monitor, temperature reader, compass, and pedometer.
For this project, its creator used an Arduino Pro mini, a cellphone battery, a few other tech parts, and an old digital watch that was big enough to hold the PCB board.
The result may not be the prettiest watch you’ve ever seen. But it makes up for that in sheer geek cred.
As noted in the project’s description, you will need some familiarity with making your own PCB board, as well as electronics and coding experience in order to follow the instructions. If you have these skills, this smartwatch project is within your grasp.
Gonçalves included two coding options, one that syncs via Bluetooth to a Windows phone for using a calendar, but is a serious battery drainer, and another that does not support Bluetooth syncing, but has as much as 24-hours of battery life.
He even made a point to adjust the pedometer to recognize the difference between someone walking and someone just moving their arm a lot to avoid false readings for your step counter.
Of course, this DIY fitness band is fairly basic with just a few features, but it sure would be fun to show off your homemade personal smartwatch to friends at a party.
