map reading by computer

map reading by computer elektor june 1981 — 6-29 measure the distance with your computer Personal computer owners are always on the look-out for new applications, new "tricks" they can teach their electronic pets. This article describes a small but powerful sensor which enables distances between two points on a map to be measured with a fair degree of accuracy. A computer program then converts the number of centimetres measured into the actual distance in kilometres. With the ever increasing cost of motoring, the driver tends to keep close track of his car"s mileage and, if poss- ible, reduce the distance to be travelled down to an absolute minimum. Holiday makers, in particular, need to know the exact (and shortest) distance from one place to another, so that they do not end up stranded in the middle of nowhere with an empty petrol tank. Usually, a map is spread out on a table and the number of centimetres from A to B is measured with a ruler and then converted into kilometres ...