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Build your own pedometer

Do you know how pedometers work?

Level :

Middle School

Author:

FizziQ

By studying the functioning of the pedometer, the student studies the movement of his body using the accelerometer, works on the notion of pattern, and uses the notion of threshold to create his own pedometer.

➡️ Find this activity in the Activities Catalogue of the FizziQ app
(Activities > ➕ > Activities catalog)

Learn more

1. You may have already used the pedometer on your smartphone. It allows you to count the number of steps you take during the day. But do you know how it works?

2. Let's analyze the movements that your cell phone detects when you walk.

3. Select Absolute Acceleration in the Measurements and walk 50 steps while recording the data, then add the graph to your notebook.

4. Can you recognize patterns on the graph that would allow you to identify each of your steps? Can you deduce how a pedometer calculates the number of steps?

5. To check your hypotheses, simultaneously record the Absolute acceleration and Pedometer measuring instruments, thanks to the Duo function that you will find in the Tools tab.

6. Attention, the Absolute acceleration data must be placed in the circle on the left because its data is recorded more frequently than that of the Pedometer.

7. Analyze the graph. Can you deduce how to create a pedometer from the Absolute Acceleration of your smartphone?

8. What happens if you run?

9. Save these analyzes in your notebook, and add photos and comments to create a PDF document that you can share.

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