Swift Student Challenge 2026

Where
Rhythm meets Code

Drummers curious about code. Developers drawn to drums. RhythmCode bridges the two worlds through interactive AR experiences and hands-on Swift lessons.

RhythmCode AR Experience

See it in action

From AR placement to code execution — every moment is designed to teach and delight.

AR Drum Kit

AR Drum Kit

Place and interact with a full 8-piece drum kit in augmented reality.

Live Code Editor

Live Code Editor

Write Swift code and see drum notation rendered in real time.

Function Anatomy

Function Anatomy

Tap color-coded segments to understand function parameters and arguments.

Dice Game

Dice Game

A physics-based rope-cutting dice game that tests your drum notation knowledge.

Choose your journey

Whether you think in beats or in bytes, RhythmCode meets you where you are.

🥁

I'm a Drummer

Learn Swift fundamentals through what you already know — rhythm and notation. Variables become drum notes. Functions become rhythms. Loops become repeat signs.

"I'm a drummer, teach me code."
Lesson 01
Variable Lesson
Badge

Variables

How do you represent a drum note in Swift?

Lesson 02
Function Lesson
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Functions

Wrap a rhythm into a reusable Swift function.

Lesson 03
Loop & Branch Lesson
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Loops & Branches

Repeat signs become while loops. Volta brackets become if.

💻

I'm a Developer

Explore a full AR drum kit. Tap, listen, and learn drum notation through an immersive hands-on tutorial with a physics-based dice game.

"I'm a developer, show me drums."
Full Tutorial
🥁
Badge

Developer Tutorial

  • Tour every drum in AR
  • Master staff notation
  • Test your knowledge with a physics dice game

Built to inspire

A full-featured learning experience powered by AR, AI, and real-time code execution.

🎯

Augmented Reality Drum Kit

Place a virtual 8-piece drum kit in your room with RealityKit. Tap each drum to hear real sounds. Billboard labels float beside each piece with AI-generated descriptions of what it is, how it sounds, and how to play it.

📝

Live Swift Editor

Write real Swift code with syntax highlighting, instant parsing, and playback. See your code become music in real time.

🎵

Drum Staff Notation

A custom-built drum notation renderer. Noteheads, stems, beams, time signatures, repeat signs, and volta brackets — all from code.

RhythmCode
🎲

Physics Dice Game

A wooden dice hangs from the ceiling on a rope. Swipe to cut it, watch it roll across the drums, and guess which drum face lands up.

🌐

3D Concept Cloud

After each lesson, programming concepts float as a rotating 3D tag sphere in AR. Tap any tag to reveal its definition and see it come to life.

🤖

AI Tutor (Apple Intelligence)

Rhythmix, your on-device AI tutor powered by FoundationModels, answers questions and guides you through each lesson.

Private by Default

Apple Intelligence runs entirely on-device via FoundationModels. No user data ever leaves your iPad — your learning journey stays completely private.

HH · SD · BD · HH · SD · BD · CC · HH · RC · MT · HT · FT · BD · HH · SD ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ · var · func · while · if · let · return · play · rhythm · beat · loop HH · SD · BD · HH · SD · BD · CC · HH · RC · MT · HT · FT · BD · HH · SD ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬ · var · func · while · if · let · return · play · rhythm · beat · loop

Tearing down the wall

Between the art kids and the techies. Between the stage and the screen.

🥁

For Musicians

Coding often feels like a cold, intimidating brick wall. I wanted to turn that screen into a stage. Instead of dry syntax, you write var kick = "BD" and realize you're just picking up a drum mallet. Functions become rhythm patterns. Loops become repeat signs. The abstract finally feels as tangible as a pair of drumsticks.

💻

For Developers

Music notation can look like ancient hieroglyphics — until you see it through the logic you already live in. Rhythm rows become string literals. Tempo becomes a function parameter. Watching your code tap an AR drum and compile into professional notation is the ultimate lightbulb moment.

🎓

For Educators

Replace dusty textbooks with something kinesthetic. With an on-device AI tutor and a 3D kit sitting right in your room, students aren't just studying — they're moving. Whether a total Swift beginner or someone who's never touched a drum, RhythmCode is the bridge. Not just a lesson — a jam session.

Rhythmix
Rhythmix
Powered by Apple Intelligence
What's the difference between var and let?
Great question! Think of var like a drum you can swap out mid-song — its value can change. let is like a drum bolted to the floor — once set, it stays.
Can you show me a loop example?
Sure! A repeat sign in music ||: :|| is just like a while loop. Both say "play this section again."

Meet Rhythmix,
your AI tutor

An on-device AI instructor that speaks both rhythm and code, built with Apple's FoundationModels framework.

Context-Aware

Knows which lesson you're in and adapts explanations to your current step.

On-Device Processing

Runs entirely on Apple Intelligence — no data leaves your iPad.

Smart Suggestions

Generates follow-up questions so you always know what to explore next.

Accessibility First.

Accessibility has been a priority from day one — across motion, visuals, interaction, and feedback.

Button("Play") .accessibilityLabel("Play bass drum") .accessibilityHint("Double tap to play") .accessibilityAddTraits(.isButton)

VoiceOver Ready

Over 100 descriptive labels and hints cover every drum, notation element, and code action. A dedicated companion panel in the Developer Tutorial lets VoiceOver users explore all 8 drums without ever touching the AR view.

UIAccessibility.post( notification: .announcement, argument: "Build succeeded" )

Live Announcements

Every meaningful event speaks aloud — step transitions, "Build succeeded", inline error locations, drum exploration progress, and dice game outcomes — so users always know what just happened.

guard !UIAccessibility .isReduceMotionEnabled else { return } // start parallax animation

Reduce Motion Support

The welcome screen's gyroscope parallax animation is automatically disabled when Reduce Motion is turned on — no unnecessary movement for users who need a calmer experience.

Powered by Apple's latest

RhythmCode explores Apple technologies — from ARKit to on-device intelligence.

SwiftUI
SwiftUI
RealityKit
RealityKit
ARKit
ARKit
FoundationModels
FoundationModels
SwiftData
SwiftData
Swift 6
Swift 6
MusiCode
"Programming is music, written in logic."

Ready to play?

Compile RhythmCode.swiftpm in Xcode, run on your iPad and start your journey where rhythm meets code.