Record EMG
Place electrodes on the forearm and use Spiker:bit to detect the muscle signal produced when you flex.
Spiker-Man Web Flinger
Spiker:bit project
Spiker-Man Web Flinger: a micro:bit EMG servo project.
Use EMG muscle signals from your forearm to trigger a servo-powered web flinger with Spiker:bit and BBC micro:bit. It is a playful superhero build that teaches biological signals, threshold logic, MakeCode, and micro:bit control.
EMG
Servo
micro:bit
Featured in Make: Magazine
Alex Hatch’s Spiker-Man Web Flinger made Make: Volume 96.
Make: Magazine’s Digital Fabrication Guide 2026 featured Backyard Brains designer Alex Hatch and the neuro-powered Spiker-Man Web Flinger. The project also appeared in Make: Live’s Volume 96 show-and-tell lineup.
From muscle signal to motion
Flex your forearm. Fire the web.
The Spiker:bit reads a real EMG signal from the arm. A simple threshold in code turns that biological signal into a servo movement, so students can see the path from nervous system activity to a physical microcontroller output.
Build flow
Three ideas students can see and test.
Set a threshold
Code a threshold so the micro:bit can tell the difference between rest and a strong muscle contraction.
Trigger a servo
Use the threshold crossing to move a small servo and launch the web-flinger mechanism.
Materials
Start with Spiker:bit, then add the launcher.
Spiker:bit + BBC micro:bit
Use Spiker:bit to turn forearm EMG muscle activity into a micro:bit input.
Electrodes and cable
Use surface electrodes and the electrode cable to pick up the forearm muscle signal.
Servo and launcher
Add a small servo and classroom-safe wrist launcher materials for the web-flinger motion.
Core board
Spiker:bit
The board that turns biological signals into micro:bit inputs for EMG projects like Spiker-Man.
Code and docs
Use EMG threshold logic to move a servo.
The current Spiker-Man path uses Spiker:bit and micro:bit MakeCode-style threshold logic: read the muscle power signal, set a threshold, and trigger a servo when the forearm EMG signal crosses that threshold.
FAQ
Common project questions.
Is Spiker-Man an EMG project?
Yes. The project uses EMG muscle activity from the forearm to trigger a servo-powered web flinger.
Does Spiker-Man use Arduino or micro:bit?
The current version is positioned as a Spiker:bit and BBC micro:bit project. The retired Arduino Muscle SpikerShield archive remains available for older Arduino users.
What hardware do I need?
The build centers on a Spiker:bit and BBC micro:bit, with electrodes, a small servo mechanism, a wrist-mounted launcher, and classroom-safe craft materials.
Can this be used in a classroom?
Yes. It is a classroom-friendly neuroengineering build when used as a supervised educational activity with surface electrodes and non-medical intent.