speedsfrom

Speedsfrom is a term used in geospatial data analysis to describe a function or module that derives speed information from sequential position measurements. It is commonly applied to time-stamped tracks containing latitude and longitude data (and optionally altitude) to estimate motion characteristics.

The typical approach of speedsfrom involves calculating the distance between successive positions and dividing by the time elapsed to obtain a speed value for each interval. Distances are often computed with the haversine formula or a more precise ellipsoidal distance method. The resulting output can include instantaneous speeds for each segment, as well as aggregate statistics such as average, maximum, and minimum speeds. Some implementations also produce derived values like acceleration, heading, and quality flags that indicate potential data issues.

Inputs and outputs for speedsfrom usually include a sequence of records with coordinates and timestamps, plus optional sensor metadata and unit preferences (meters per second, kilometers per hour, or miles per hour). Outputs typically consist of per-segment speed values, summary statistics, and, in more advanced forms, filtered or smoothed speed sequences to reduce noise from measurement errors.

Applications for speedsfrom span telematics and fleet management, sports analytics, wildlife and human movement studies, aviation and maritime tracking, and logistics optimization. While not standardized as a single universal tool, speedsfrom represents a common functional pattern across many software libraries and data pipelines for transforming position time series into meaningful speed metrics.

Limitations include GPS or sensor noise, irregular sampling, clock drift, and data gaps, which can lead to spurious speed estimates. Careful handling of time stamps, coordinate reference frames, and data quality is essential for reliable results.