The Big Stepometer Project is a virtual tour. Using a small device distributed by McDonald's, called the stepometer, one can actually measure how many steps he has taken during the course of a day. By a simple mathematical calculation one can change the number of steps taken to an actual distance covered during a day. These virtual distances then can be used by the stepometer user to take a virtual tour by consulting a map and measuring the distance taken a day to estimate where he is located virtually.
Rules of the Stepometer Project:
The stepometer is not a scientific device, thus the number of steps displayed at the end of each day is a bit more than the actual steps taken. (This I figured out by actual experience). Therefore the displayed number of steps are to be multiplied by 0.95 at the end of each day, to arrive at an adjusted figure, which more accurately represents the steps taken.
The estimated distance walked during a day is calculated by multiplying the adjusted steps by 0.6 (this I established by measuring the number of steps I took versus a measured distance).
During the virtual tour, the virtual tourist have some virtual abilities. He can "walk on water", meaning that in case a river or a large pool of water is in its way, the virtual tourist can pass straight through it.
Also the virtual tourist is not required to follow roads, he can move cross country, without geographical features hampering or slowing him down in any way. Yes, it means, the virtual tourist can easily pass the Himalaya mountains for example. He calculates on a map an estimated width for the mountain and if he has enough steps, then pooof, he is on the other side of the mountain. Easy as pie.
The virtual tourist can use an airplane or a ship if he is on a city that has an international airport / international harbor. However airplane / ship travel is not instantenous. A distance should be calculated to the destination city (which also should have an international airport / international harbor) and then he has to walk a number of steps calculated by the following formula:
Thus if he wants to fly 300 kilometers to another city, he has to walk (300 kilometers = 300000 meters -> 300000 / 30 = 10000 steps.) When the required number of steps is taken he is considered arrived at the destination.
