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Tracker Trial I

Walking off distances

  1. Remove the SmartWheel from your cart. Carefully save the two screws. Tape or screw the SmartWheel to the end of a meter stick so that you can walk along and roll it on the floor.

  1. Place a piece of masking tape on the floor to make a straight line at least 2-3m long. You will use this line when navigating your SmartWheel.

  2. Connect the SmartWheel to your handheld computer. Refer to Technical Hints to see how to connect the cables.

  3. Start the software. Observe the position versus time graph as you roll the SmartWheel back and forth along the masking tape line on the floor.

  1. With your team member, take turns practicing making the following motions until you have all four motions on the same graph, one after the other.

    1. walking forward at a constant velocity

    2. walking forward, then backward, at constant velocity

    3. walking forward slowly, then quickly, then stopping

    4. gradually speeding up, then gradually slowing down

  2. Save your data to the handheld computer.

  3. Draw and describe the graph for each set of movements in Notes on your handheld computer.

    1. walking forward at a constant velocity

    2. walking forward, then backward, at constant velocity

    3. walking forward slowly, then quickly, then stopping

    4. gradually speeding up, then gradually slowing down

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