SpaceWalking Review

SpaceWalking uses the iPhone's GPS system and map navigation tools to create a "virtual" scale model of the solar system that you can actually navigate, on foot.

In the first step, the user defines the scale by selecting among several options for scale distance representing 1 Astronomical Unit (1 AU), which is defined as the distance between the earth and sun. The smallest distance reaches the limits of GPS accuracy and is appropriate for a short neighborhood walk, the next higher is more appropriate for a short bike ride, all the way up to a drive stretching halfway across the state.

After selecting the scale, the user points the phone in the direction in which the desired direction of travel, and selects the starting point for the spacewalk, which may be any celestial body within the solar system. The app then places pins on the map to superimpose the relative locations of the planets with respect to the map. The user can then switch to planet view, which simulates the space walk by providing graphic representations of the planets and other heavenly bodies, complete with the spooky space music and the ability to "pan" an orbit around the body and to access information about it.

I am really impressed with the innovation of this app, particularly in the use of mobile technology to bring scientific concepts closer to human experience. To me, this type of application represents the best of what technology can offer humans and society. This would be a great tool to assist a student who is learning about astronomy in gaining a perceptual context of relative distances in the solar system.