An early 15th century drawing by Leonardo da Vinci depicted a device that used gears and a pendulum that moved in synchronization with the wearer as he or she walked. This is believed to be the early origins of today's physical activity monitoring devices. Today's devices have vastly expanded on da Vinci's ancient concept with a myriad of options available that measure steps taken, distance traveled and track movements via satellite, as well as measure cardiac response and exercise intensity. These new and innovative gadgets are becoming standard components in physical education programs. This final article in the 6-part technology series aims to investigate the rationale, advantages and disadvantages of various physical activity monitoring devices, options available, and to provide an overview of software for integrating devices into an overall course management system. (Contains 1 figure.) [For Part 5, see EJ900567.]