By: Joe Yovanovich, Dan Smith, & Andrew Taylor
Recommended Further Reading:
Promoting Physical Activity in Low-Income Mothers
Commercially Available Pedometers
Effect of BMI on Pedometers in Early Adolescents
Integrating Pedometers into Early Childhood Settings
Validity of Pedometers in People With Physical Disabilities
Accuracy and Reliability of Pedometers
You mentioned that iPhones use motion sensors to detect vertical accelerations and estimate steps based on that – but I wonder how accurate this is compared to the other methods of measuring distance traveled. I look at the “health” app on my phone pretty much daily, so I’d be curious to know how reliable it actually is.
Same here Erin! The iPhone I believe uses microprocessors to count the amount of steps you take. The utilize accelerometers and gyroscopes to detect the frequency, as well as the speed of each step. I’m sure these also have same errors associated with the mechanical and piezoelectric pedometers. Change the frequency or speed of any given step and i’m sure errors will be observed.