UPDATE! The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project

[PokewalkerProf]

:mail: Edit: view the most recent update here. :mail:



I introduced myself and my project briefly earlier, here's the need-to-know stuff from my intro post:

Hi all, I decided to join after talking with Bulbagarden admins about featuring some upcoming scientific work on Bulbapedia/Bulbagarden.

I'm PokewalkerProf, and I'm doing some science for fun...but I need everyone's help to do it. After receiving multiple reports that PokéWalkers around the world vary slightly, and that the PokéWalker's software doesn't simply convert every 20 steps to 1 watt as the HeartGold/SoulSilver manuals suggest (it's true!), I decided to further delve into the matter using the utmost scientific methods possible.

...Assuming you actually maintain the maximum efficiency of 1 watt every 20 steps, you would have to walk two million steps to unlock every [PokéWalker] route. It goes without saying that this is a lot of walking.

...the problem of step and watt efficiency is what I intend to solve, but I need your help to do so.


In order to analyze the PokéWalker's efficiency, I need data from all willing participants. You must currently own a PokéWalker to participate, and your participation requires only that you fill out a survey after giving us at minimum five minutes of your time. After enough data is collected, we will begin to analyze the data to confirm or refute our numerous hypotheses. We hope that our data will serve to educate everyone as to how to get the most from their PokéWalker by finding efficient ways to accumulate steps and watts.

You do not have to do something boring like walking. In fact, I highly encourage everyone do non-standard activities in an attempt to accumulate steps and watts. We need plenty of data from people walking, but I also want to know how efficient the PokéWalker is if you attach it to your dog, a large clock, a paint mixer...anything! We welcome creativity and consistency alike. :banana:

:uhoh: So why should YOU care about this project?

The PokéWalker manual says that 20 steps = 1 watt. The manual lies. After a number of personal tests, I've found that this is far from the truth: the PokéWalker's software and/or hardware has a built in tolerance and threshold for "steps" and "watts." It is possible to earn steps and not earn watts. I learned this the hard way after finding that my favorite method of "cheating" while sitting around doing nothing was actually earning me about 1/4th the amount of steps I should have earned, and zero watts.

My research colleague also owns both an American and a Japanese PokéWalker, and has reported that the step "threshold" -- what the PokéWalker considers "legitimate walking" -- is harder to achieve; her description is that the JP PokéWalker seems..."stiffer." This might suggest that either there is a fundamental hardware difference between different PokéWalkers from different regions, or that the software threshold was raised/lowered based on region. We're not sure; further comparative tests on our American and Japanese PokéWalkers are planned in the near future.

There are numerous other hypotheses and possibilities we're testing for. Does the PokéWalker's "buffer time" -- the time needed to establish a walking motion as opposed to just random jostling around -- affect watt yield? Does having a Pokémon on your PokéWalker affect any part of step or watt gain? We may also look into random events -- when items, extra watts, or entire Pokémon simply appear on your PokéWalker -- and whether or not these are affected by how often you walk or how many watts you have or don't have.

:dumb: I have my PokéWalker attached to a chain/a drinking bird/my cat/a lawnmower/my car/the tail wing of a Boeing 757. Am I getting watts?

We'd like to know too. I encourage everyone that would like to participate to go try some crazy tests. Do something that you think makes sense to "cheat" the PokéWalker out of steps and watts. Do something completely ridiculous. (Don't break your PokéWalker.) Do something novel and unexpected. We'll look at your step and watt gain and compare it to other wacky, unique methods of cheating.

We may find that there's a way to cheat the system and meet the same efficiency you might peak at while walking...or possibly a greater efficiency than walking. We can't tell yet for sure, but right now we have many reports coming in that a pendulum motion produces a surprisingly efficient step and watt increase. Food for thought...and hopefully something we can either confirm or deny with actual data later.




Anyways, I can't think of anything else to say about this study right now, but I'm happy to answer any questions you may have about the study, how you're using your PokéWalker, or really anything else. Discussion is always good.

 

[Arty2]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

According to my metrics, the ratio is slightly lower than that the manual says, yet again, the manual reports an average.
13858 steps resulted to 672 watts, that is ~0.048 watts per step, or ~20 steps per watt.
The "Walk With Me" pedometer's manual notes that walking periods lasting less than 10 minutes may not be counter towards the total. The Pokewalker is essentially the same pedometer equipped with buttons and an LCD.

It is also highly unlikely that the japanese and us/european pokewalker have any hardware differences at all.

Also, the rotating fan method works, as long you attach it to the rotating body and not the fan itself. Attached to my machine, it "produced" 10.000 steps in 15 minutes

 

[NyaChan]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

It is also highly unlikely that the japanese and us/european pokewalker have any hardware differences at all.

There is likely something different between a JP Pokéwalker and a US Pokéwalker in how it measures the steps/watts as I wear both of mine at the same time however they have yet to be even almost similar. Currently they're at a difference of about 70 steps (not going to bother with watts since I send those over at different times), with my JP Pokéwalker leading. I'd be okay with about 10-15 steps off since I can't obviously put them in the exact same place at the same time, but ~70 seems a bit large.

 

[PokewalkerProf]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project

According to my metrics, the ratio is slightly lower than that the manual says, yet again, the manual reports an average.
13858 steps resulted to 672 watts, that is ~0.048 watts per step, or ~20 steps per watt.
The "Walk With Me" pedometer's manual notes that walking periods lasting less than 10 minutes may not be counter towards the total. The Pokewalker is essentially the same pedometer equipped with buttons and an LCD.

It is also highly unlikely that the japanese and us/european pokewalker have any hardware differences at all.

Also, the rotating fan method works, as long you attach it to the rotating body and not the fan itself. Attached to my machine, it "produced" 10.000 steps in 15 minutes

Interesting. Ceiling fans are one of the methods we're testing, so that's good to hear. I tried the end of a fan blade to no avail, I'm guessing because centrifugal force doesn't activate the accelerometer in ways the pedometer expects.

As for the watt average, I highly doubt we'll ever escape the 20:1 step/watt ratio. I'll be very surprised if we ever find a method that produces a significantly higher amount of watts in the same amount of time as you would earn them walking -- maybe a few extra or a few less, but technically speaking the 20:1 ratio should hold up no matter what.

I'm mainly interested in the motions and the methods the walker expects. Our initial tests show that it has a software buffer that essentially can tell the difference between walking and simply shaking the walker. Shaking it quickly and wildly does not produce the same amount of steps as you might get from walking, and the walker also awards no watts for the few steps earned. Shaking it slowly with a fairly standard rhythm -- akin to the slow, rhythmic motion of walking -- produces the 20:1 point ratio.

This ought to make anyone that thinks they're doing themselves a favor by shaking their walker wildly think twice. That's the idea!

There is likely something different between a JP Pokéwalker and a US Pokéwalker in how it measures the steps/watts as I wear both of mine at the same time however they have yet to be even almost similar. Currently they're at a difference of about 70 steps (not going to bother with watts since I send those over at different times), with my JP Pokéwalker leading. I'd be okay with about 10-15 steps off since I can't obviously put them in the exact same place at the same time, but ~70 seems a bit large.

This is good to hear, as we've experienced the same differences in our US/JP walker tests. I'm running private tests with our JP and US walkers to do some more comparative analysis. NyaChan, if you'd like to assist by giving us data from both your US and JP walkers, I'd like to set up a different survey for you and anyone else with both types. It would basically be the same data entry portion of the regular study, but doubled -- one set for the US walker and one for the JP walker, naturally.

edit: Oh! Thanks for the move, moderators! This seems like a better-suited place after all!

 

[Arty2]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

but ~70 seems a bit large.

Worths a detailed test yet 70 steps isn't that much, a slight differentiation of their accelerometer's axis could explain that

 

[Korashk]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I just conducted an informal test of my pokewalker. My chosen 'cheat' was to hold the walker in the end knuckle of my right hand with the screen facing me. The clip back is attatched. I then proceeded to move my arm fairly parallel to the ground while bobbing my hand up and down using my shoulder while maintaining a fairly slack wrist. I continued this motion until my hand reached across my chest and began to wrap around my back, and then began moving in the opposite direction. The motion of the pokewalker wouod be accurately described as a 5 foot semicircle motion parallel to the ground while moving vertically on the graph of (y = sin x).

I did this for nearly exactly 5 minutes. I began the test after transfering gifts to my DS card. At the beginning of the count my pokewalker had 2961 day steps, and 14111 total steps. There was a Magby on the pokewalker in the refreshing field area.

After the test was concluded my total day steps were 3808 which means that in the 5 minute testing time I gained 847 steps and a total of 42 watts. When calculated out those steps had gained watts at a ratio of 20.166 repeating steps:1 watt. When calculated out I gained watts at a rate of 0.049586776859504 watts per step.

Note that the measurements for circumference of semicircle and length from body are close estimations, not exacts.

 

[PokewalkerProf]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I just conducted an informal test of my pokewalker. My chosen 'cheat' was to hold the walker in the end knuckle of my right hand with the screen facing me. The clip back is attatched. I then proceeded to move my arm fairly parallel to the ground while bobbing my hand up and down using my shoulder while maintaining a fairly slack wrist. I continued this motion until my hand reached across my chest and began to wrap around my back, and then began moving in the opposite direction. The motion of the pokewalker wouod be accurately described as a 5 foot semicircle motion parallel to the ground while moving vertically on the graph of (y = sin x).

I did this for nearly exactly 5 minutes. I began the test after transfering gifts to my DS card. At the beginning of the count my pokewalker had 2961 day steps, and 14111 total steps. There was a Magby on the pokewalker in the refreshing field area.

After the test was concluded my total day steps were 3808 which means that in the 5 minute testing time I gained 847 steps and a total of 42 watts. When calculated out those steps had gained watts at a ratio of 20.166 repeating steps:1 watt. When calculated out I gained watts at a rate of 0.049586776859504 watts per step.

Note that the measurements for circumference of semicircle and length from body are close estimations, not exacts.

This is a great example of keeping detailed records of how you conduct tests. Good work!!


I'd like to clarify that while the watts to steps ratio is indeed a valid measure, and one we will be monitoring in our research, we are not particularly concerned with watts to steps ratio as a measure of actual effort exerted. We've conducted a few tests that suggest steps and watts are not necessarily handled as a simple conversion of 20:1 -- this is why we request your step count and your watt count. Until we have more substantial data from both this public survey and our private research to either confirm or refute this hypothesis, although it is very interesting, it is unfortunately inaccurate to measure progress by saying that you earned however many watts per step.

Our reasoning is this: The walker is primarily a pedometer with a game built into it. The pedometer is concerned with recording how many steps you take, so the steps are the "real" data -- the actual effort being put into the system to achieve results. Watts, then, are an arbitrary measure based on a conversion handled by the pedometer's software to turn your steps into in-game rewards. Watts are still very important!! They are the reason you interact with the walker in the first place!! But for a measure of physical effort, steps are the most accurate measure.



We're getting great results so far...they are sparse, but the data is interesting so far. We have just shy of 20 submissions as of now, many from the same core group of 3 or 4 participants. Consistency from a dedicated group of researchers is good, but we would also like a wider sample size, so I encourage everyone to keep at it! We thank new participants and repeat contributors for your work so far!

long day edit: I'm going out of town for the weekend. I'll be back to answer any questions and comments when I return. Thanks again for everyone's help.

 

[Thanuist]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Decided to give the ceiling fan method a go. The key to getting steps/watts to be recorded is to have the walker sitting face up, taped to the top half of a blade (so it is sitting on it opposed to letting it swing around). Make sure it is properly secured! I used yarn wrapped then taped around the blade.

My results over a 10 minute span on my fan's fastest setting was 753 steps, 42 watts, which is roughly 18 steps per watt.

It's not as effective as my main method of letting my nervous legs jiggle, but it is a nice set up before you go to bed.

 

[DeathByAnArrow]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

My pokewalker has the belt backing on it, currently at 37watts/ 813 steps (but at 52834 total steps and 2294 total watts)

I've used mixed methods to gain steps as for the first few days we had the game i spent at the my friends house, and he has exercise equipment 8D

My methods are Regular Walking, Eliptical Machine, Treadmill, Exercise Ball, and excessive foot tapping.

Regular walking consists of just keeping it clipped to my pants (on the top, so it sits upright)through the day. It works fairly average.

The eliptical machine is the one with two moving steps and two grips to hold onto to simulate running on the spot (for thos unfamiliar). Because of the face paced, rocking action of the machine, it was hard to balance the DS in my hand and not falling off the machine. in spurts of probably 15-20 minutes (with several almost falls) this was the least effective method.

The treadmill went between 2.5-3.0 speed (on a scale of 0.5-11) for the same periods as the elliptical. it worked pretty well compared to the elliptical, but the same as walking. just faster pace.

The excersize ball, GREAT method. You keep it clipped to your side or in your pocket, sit on the ball and bounce. not extreme bouncing like you're going for height. but unconscious jiggling while watching tv or playing heartgold. This works pretty rapidly, so far on this list the best method. its around 3-4x faster than the previous methods.

My favourite method so far is holding it inbetween my Big and index toe and rapidly tapping my foot. I do this ALL the time, and i used to have a digivice and tamogatchi (where fast=better) so figured it give it a whirl. I could count on average how many taps i do a minute if you want, but its to the beat of a typical double kick drum in metal-styled music. i made around 8000 steps in 30-60 minutes, without stopping my foot (though it was unconcsious, so maybe i did stop... but i don't recall.)

hopefully this helps

 

[Batbloodx]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Personally, I'd rather just clip the Pokewalker to my waist and walk. It's been getting me out of the house and I normally don't exercise as much as I should, anyway. I'm not overweight in the slighest, so previous to this I had no motivation to get out and do anything. But this Pokewalker has gotten me walking. It's accurate enough for me. I get a couple hundred watts by the end of the school day, which is more than enough for me. I'm not complaining. Besides, it gives me something to do during study hall.

 

[Donald Serrot]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I haven't checked the exact numbers on this, but a while back I put my Pokewalker on my cat's collar and then let her chase a lazer light around my apartment. I know I got a decent amount of steps from that, but I didn't check my wats. I'll have to test this again to see what I get.
Also it's a US version Pokewalker.

 

[MasterKenobi]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I have been mostly walking with my (US Version) PokeWalker but have also tried other methods such as shaking it and tapping my foot constantly. I can tell you for a fact that it doesn't measure accurately as it is off by at least 10%. Most of the time when I walk it is just in my pocket.

Have we figure out the most effective way to place the PokeWalker for the maximum amount of steps? (Such as a pocket or clipped to a belt)

 

[Gligar13]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I try to gain steps by wearing it clipped to my watch. I will try that and wear another pokewalker in my pocket to see which gives more steps.

 

[Joshawott]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

One night I was trying to catch a Munchlax on the Champ Path course, and it was approaching midnight, so I decided to try and do something to raise the watts up, and I got the idea of using my USB Massager I got for Christmas. I positioned the Pokéwalker on the wire using the clip, right next to the actual massager. I did get a Munchlax, and when I heard of this project (as I myself researched the Pokéwalker a lot around the Japanese release), I decided to do an experiment. I did the suggested five minute intervals between starting and finishing, and decided to repeat the experiment three times to increase the validity of the original result.

Trial 1:
Time: 12:45
Steps: 0
Watts: 2947

Time: 12:50
Steps: 151
Watts: 2955

Steps Gained: 151
Watts Gained: 8

Trial 2:
Time: 12:53
Steps: 151
Watts: 2955

Time: 12:58
Steps: 839
Watts: 2989

Steps Gained: 688
Watts Gained: 34

Trial 3:
Time: 13:28
Steps: 839
Watts: 2989

Time: 13:33
Steps: 1483
Watts: 3021

Steps Gained: 644
Watts Gained: 32

So as we can see from these three trials,looking at the difference betweens trials 1 and 2, the Pokéwalker does take time to kick off and start counting steps.

 

[Color Printer]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I don't think the problem is mostly that 20 steps doesn't equal 1 watt. For me, the question is what in the world constitutes a "step", and why is there this strange lag in counting (or at least, displaying) them?

 

[Gligar13]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I think the lag might be a way to somehow make it harder to cheat, as it looks like its not counting when you shake it.. As most pedometers count instantly, and seem easier to cheat.

 

[Color Printer]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Yes, but it seems to count them later anyway. I gave my Pokewalker a nice good shake. The counter didn't go up. Gave it another good one. Pause, then the counter goes up by 8. What?!?

 

[DaedHead8]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I've got a science question for you, more of a statistical inquiry really. How many ceiling fans have been cleaned as a direct result of people climbing up there to attach a Pokewalker and realizing how dirty it was?

 

[Arty2]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

I think the lag might be a way to somehow make it harder to cheat, as it looks like its not counting when you shake it.. As most pedometers count instantly, and seem easier to cheat.

Exactly, there's a buffer. It's also a way to save on some CPU and thus battery life by avoiding putting the count on the display immediately.

 

[Color Printer]

Re: The Pokémon HeartGold/SoulSilver PokéWalker Efficiency Project -- Real PokéScienc

Either way, it's definition of a "step" still seems to be a complete mystery to me.