Horsepower
The easy and fun way to calculate the horsepower of anything that moves, available now on the iPhone App Store.
Now you can calculate the horsepower of your car, boat, goat* or children in minutes. Simply select the weight, tap "Start" and in seconds you'll know how much power is being put out.
New! Now you can share your results with your friends via Twitter. Just enter your username and password and your test results will automatically be "tweeted" at the end of each run.
You can use Horsepower to determine the baseline power of your vehicle, then test again after making changes to see the real effect of your modifications. Or use it to compare the power of your dogsled team...the possibilities are endless!
Tips for getting the best results:
Brace your device against a fixed part of the vehicle you're measuring so that it moves in sync with the vehicle and not a movable object (like your hand).
Once moving, any movement in the opposite direction will trigger the auto-stop feature and end the test. This can result in readings that are lower than they should be.
Place the device flat and aim the top of the device in the direction of acceleration.
Horsepower only reads acceleration data from one axis which runs through your device from top to bottom. If you run a test with the device pointed in a direction other than the direction of acceleration, the reading will be inaccurate.
Tap "Start" only after the vehicle is completely still and the device is firmly in place.
When you tap "Start", Horsepower auto-calibrates in preparation for the test; if you are moving, or if the device is moving relative to the vehicle you're trying to measure, you'll get artificially low results.
Avoid "tilting" the device during a test.
Tilting the device during a test may cause gravity to affect acceleration readings and provide inaccurate results (try tipping your device forward or backward after tapping "Start" to see an example).
As we continue to develop "Horsepower" we are working to find ways to make testing easier and eliminate the need for these steps, however in the meantime following these guidelines will resolve the most common causes of inaccurate results.
Note: Horsepower's calculations are based on acceleration data, mass and time which results in that take into consideration transmission losses, aerodynamics and anything else that affects a dynamic body in motion. This means that Horsepower's results will not match the numbers provided by vehicle manufacturers which are typically "crank" horsepower measured directly from the engine. Horsepower is for entertainment purposes only and while its measurements are accurate and repeatable they are not official and should be used for bragging rights only.
If you have questions about Horsepower please strike up a conversation in the forum.
*Gullickson Laboratories does not condone animal testing with this or any other product. Please complete all testing on consenting adults first before attaching your iPhone to a goat, dog or other non-human animal.