Is this good for hobbyists & makers?

Yes — this version of "Dead Reckoning for a surveying traverse" is framed for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker.

Do I need to install anything?

No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.

For Hobbyists & Makers · Dead Reckoning

Dead Reckoning for a surveying traverse

Built for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker. Simulate a surveying traverse live below — adjust the inputs and watch it respond, right in your browser.

Dead ReckoningLive

navigating with drift

Controls

Presets

Heading (°)

Boat speed (kn)

Current direction (°)

Current speed (kn)

Time (hours)

Before GPS, navigators tracked position by dead reckoning: from a known start, add up each leg's heading and speed over time. But wind and current push you off your intended track, so the actual path drifts. The gap between where you meant to go and where you ended up is why sailors and pilots learn to correct for set and drift.

▶ Run in Python

Data Inspector

Distance made good32.6 nm

Drift12.0 nm

Effective speed8.2 kn

Governing equation

x_{k + 1} = x_{k} + v Δ t cos θ, y_{k + 1} = y_{k} + v Δ t sin θ (v = 10 kn, θ = 45°)

Reading this result: Over 4 h the current carries you 12.0 nm off the intended track; steering a correction angle up-current would cancel most of this set.

Runs locally in your browser — free forever. Scale to the cloud when reality gets heavy.

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Frequently asked questions

Is this good for hobbyists & makers?: Yes — this version of "Dead Reckoning for a surveying traverse" is framed for hobbyists & makers exploring it for fun. Play with real physics and math, no license and no setup — just open and tinker.
Do I need to install anything?: No. It runs in any modern browser, free, with no account required.