Author Topic: Determine your Pace Count without leaving your armchair  (Read 3556 times)

Pete McK

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Determine your Pace Count without leaving your armchair
« on: March 28, 2014, 09:35:26 AM »
I have just come back with my Y9 (13/14 years) pupils from their second field trip. After the first excursion, navigation proved to be the most popular part of the course, as a result this trip was dedicated to this subject.

Most of these youngsters have either basic smartphones, or more frequently simple mobile phones, none of them own a handheld satnavs. Hence I was really pleased when the group determined for themselves how they could calculate their individual pace counts.

In the classroom, prior to leaving and of their own volition, they surveyed the area we were staying in using Google Earth and identified two easily identifiable landmarks, with an even distance between, measuring this using the Google Earth’s Ruler tool.
 




They were also interested to learn how their individual pace counts would correspond to their height and inside leg measurements and if this could be used to accurately predict somebody’s pace count. The answer is yes it can.

Next week we will be taking the Y12 (16/17) on the same trip and will repeat the work the Y9’s did – there are taller students in Y12 – and I will publish the combined table we create.
« Last Edit: March 28, 2014, 12:15:17 PM by captain paranoia »

captain paranoia

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Re: Determine your Pace Count without leaving your armshair
« Reply #1 on: March 28, 2014, 12:14:45 PM »
Nice use of a basic GIS...

Having discovered the link between leg length and PC, they might go on to look at other factors that determine PC; it might make quite a nice little multi-disciplinary research project for them; slope, type of ground, load carried, etc.  All sorts of topics of study come to mind, from electronics & computing (such as collecting GPS and other position sensor (e.g. ArduIMU) data) to measurement and statistics for analysing the data, and geography/geomorphology for the terrain profiles, biology/botany for the flora. etc.

captain paranoia

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Re: Determine your Pace Count without leaving your armchair
« Reply #2 on: March 28, 2014, 12:20:38 PM »
To add my tip for measuring PC...

My local council recently created an exercise track in the local park; it has a running track around the perimeter, and a number of 'exercise stations' around the track.  The have put down handy 100m marker disks all round the track.

I discovered that my level ground, unloaded, normal gait PC is 58.

A conventional oval running track provides an accurately-measured 100m distance for counting.  Despite Governments selling off school playing fields, I think most schools still have access to a running track...

Lyle Brotherton

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Re: Determine your Pace Count without leaving your armchair
« Reply #3 on: March 29, 2014, 10:42:48 AM »
Totally inspiring Pete, to be reminded that youngsters can bring a new way of thinking and add a new dimension to land navigation. It had never crossed my mind to correlate PC/Height/Inside leg measurement, with your great suggestion CP, for them to examine other factors, who knows what other revelations we will learn.

Pete, you are only a couple of hours down the road from me, I have some training to deliver to an MRT in the Lakes and if dates coincide, I would be more than happy to come along and address your young navigators, and no doubt learn something new myself in the process :)
“Opinion is the medium between knowledge and ignorance” - Plato

Angle of Repose

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Re: Determine your Pace Count without leaving your armchair
« Reply #4 on: April 16, 2014, 05:54:31 PM »
Timely post.
I admit on one snowy day, I used Google satellite maps with the distance function to determine a 100m pace count using two identifiable landmarks ( street junction and street corner) via Google, and then went out and paced it.

I have used a pedometer app in the past but felt it wasn't accurate enough.
"You can't get there from here"

Pete McK

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Re: Determine your Pace Count without leaving your armchair
« Reply #5 on: April 19, 2014, 08:25:32 AM »
Thx Guys :)