Buzz Out Loud Lounge: Can GPS devices calculate your vertical speed?
Can GPS devices calculate your vertical speed?
by x1800yolk - 1/11/08 6:14 PMCan GPS devices calculate your vertical speed? I know that GPS devices can calculate horizontal speed (the object's speed on a horizontal, two dimensional plane). But can they calculate the vertical component of someone's speed (say, if someone is going downhill) and use both horizontal and vertical components to calculate actual speed? Thanks, Brian
short answer, yes then can.
by shawnlin - 1/11/08 9:56 PM In reply to: Can GPS devices calculate your vertical speed? by x1800yolkYou need 4 satellites at minimum to get a somewhat practical reading - much more for scientific/engineering calculations.
If you'd like the long answer regarding this topic, I think Tim the Rocket Scientist is plenty smart enough to get into the nitty gritty details. consider this GPS explanation he provided for the Real Deal podcast:
http://forums.cnet.com/5208-7808_102-0.html?forumID=76&threadID=253258&messageID=2519667
Best,
Shalin
Hmm...
by thesatguy - 1/12/08 9:31 PM In reply to: Can GPS devices calculate your vertical speed? by x1800yolkMost consumer level GPS devices can display lateral speed, but I have not seen anything that will account the vertical as well. What are you going to be using it for?
skiing
by x1800yolk - 1/12/08 10:19 PM In reply to: Hmm... by thesatguyI was skiing backwards down a diamond run at a ski resort, and wanted to know how fast I was going. The gps read 21 mph, but I don't think that it could tell the vertical velocity. If you think about it, if I'm on a 45 degree slope, and I'm only getting the horizontal velocity, the vertical velocity would be equivalent to that, giving a resultant velocity of around 30 mph. If I go back and measure the angle of the slope, I could calculate the exact speed I was going, but I'm still not sure if the gps was giving me the resultant velocity or only the horizontal velocity. I know that 30 mph sounds like wishful thinking, but I was going pretty damn fast. That, and my forward skiing speed is up to 65 mph, making my backwards skiing 1/3 to 1/2 my normal skiing speed, and both seem likely to me. Thanks for the help, Brian
Garmin
by thesatguy - 1/13/08 10:00 AM In reply to: skiing by x1800yolkI know that Garmin units will calculate and show your vertical speed in feet/second, but they will only show it at one point, it will not give you an average. You might also try the "velocity made good" reading, as it may show what you need.
-Kyle
the garmin 76CS
by StephenJBurke - 1/14/08 9:47 AM In reply to: Garmin by thesatguyYou were right on the Garmin units. Many of them calculate Ascent and Descent speed. Take a look at the Garmin GPSMAP 76CS as one example of a unit that has the ability to measure Ascent or Descent speeds.
stephen
although it may not display on your GPS unit...
by shawnlin - 1/13/08 10:15 AM In reply to: skiing by x1800yolkIf you have the ability to take data from the unit and put it into a spreadsheet, a quick calculation will tell you approximately how fast you were going and approximately where you were at the time. that takes some extra effort, but I'd imagine that some GPS unit makers may have some software and special cables to help that process along...
Best,
Shalin
better than GPS
by PortVista - 1/14/08 5:33 AM In reply to: Can GPS devices calculate your vertical speed? by x1800yolkDon't altimeters calculate this better?
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