What is a Passometer?
Passometer is an electromechanical and portable instrument, which counts the number of paces or velocity of the body movement. It automatically records the number of paces. Its mechanism is operated by the movement of the body. It is similar to the speed meter of any mechanical transport. But the speed meter counts the speed per unit distance. A passometer counts the pace of the body which is a circular or periodic measurement.
What is Pedometer?
The pedometer is also an electromechanical and also a portable instrument, which counts each step a person takes by detecting the motion of the person's hands or hips. Mainly it counts the distance the user passes. Or how much distance he crossed by. It is adjusted according to the length of the pace of the person carrying it. It is important to use it vertically for better measurement.
Sizes and Shapes of Passometer & Pedometer
There are many kinds of Passometer and pedometers found. Earlier men used mechanical Passometer and Pedometer which system was analog. Those instruments can’t measure the actual value. But nowadays we use digital Passometer and pedometers. And there are some elliptic shapes and circular shapes. And some are square and rectangular. In the Unfoldment time, men used a big shape of the instruments. But now we use a tiny shaped meter. And now we can find Passometer and Pedometer as mobile apps. And it is easier to carry and calculate.
How Passometer & Pedometer Works
Pedometers work in a very simple but in an electronic way. By opening that we will find a metal pendulum (a hammer with a tiny weight) wired into an electronic counting circuit by a thin spring. The circuit is open and no current flows through it. Taking a step, the hammer swings across and touches a metal contact in the center, completing the circuit and allowing current to flow. The flow of current energizes the circuit and adds one to step count. Completing the step, the hammer swings back (by the spring), and the circuit is broken and resetting that ready for the next step. The pedometer shows a count of steps on an LCD display. In some Pedometers, the hammer-pendulum circuit works the opposite way, it's normally closed and each step makes it open temporarily. More developed instruments (some of the really good ones) work only electronic way and they have no moving parts, to be longer-lasting, more suitable, and more accurate. It has no swinging pendulum hammer and measures steps with two or three accelerometers. These are microchips arranged that detect minute changes in force to move legs. Cellphone applications work with phones that have an Accelerometer sensor built in it. While running, this application will monitor the change in the accelerometer and based on it will conclude if the step is taken. It can provide information about the angle at which someone holding the device, the direction, the speed at which it is moved, and the gravity. The accelerometer provides the values whenever they are changed along with the time at which the event occurred. The application stores these values in the database and looks for a pattern. It is important to use a Pedometer vertically for accurate measurement.
How to Calculate
The passometer calculates the pace of the body directly, which is shown in an LCD display. But to calculate the distance by Pedometer have to follow this rule “Distance = Number of steps × Step length”. But in developed Pedometers, the distance is also shown directly in detail. Best Pedometers are accurate to within ± 5% error.
Units of Passometer & Pedometer
There are some units used in the Passometer and Pedometer to calculate. They are the km (Kilometer) scale or mile scale or ft (foot) scale or lap system or pace system or step length system. We can find the value by diverting the units also.
Is It Related to the GPS
These applications work without GPS, So we can assume that it does not need GPS for step counting. But if the application has other features like showing the map of the track you followed while jogging, running or walking then GPS will be required.
Usage or Benefits of Passometer and Pedometer
Passometer and pedometers used originally for sports and physical exercise, are now becoming popular as an everyday exercise counter and motivator.
Using a Passometer and Pedometer helps in keeping track of the steps while running, walking, or doing step exercises. While starting any fitness activity, have to set some goals and would like to monitor it. If you have to prepare for a marathon which is 2 months away, You make a schedule of running every morning. Now you run every day and follow the same or different path. Sometimes you feel very tired and reduce the distance or sometimes you increase the distance, But you do not have a track of whether your stamina or performance is increasing or not. If you do your activity using these, It will capture the details like distance and pace covered each day, Steps taken and duration. You can review your performance after days and weeks to check whether it is improving or not. These instruments can be a motivational tool for people wanting to increase their physical activity. Pedometers reduce blood pressure levels and Body Mass Index.
So we can find the Passometer and Pedometer as a very helpful instruments in our everyday life.