Comparison

WaveMachine at Home vs KOURAKU

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β€” with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

WaveMachine at Home

Features
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This app is a waveform simulation tool that allows you to intuitively control and observe physical phenomena such as wave propagation, reflection, and superposition (interference) right on your smartphone. You can experience the wave behaviors found in physics textbooks by actually moving them with your own fingertips. 【Key Features】 - Intuitive Wave Generation Simply swipe up and down on the edge of the screen to create pulse waves of any shape and size. - Versatile Boundary Conditions You can set the left and right ends to "Fixed End" (wave reflects inverted), "Free End" (wave reflects upright), or "No Reflection" (wave is absorbed). - Visualization of Incident, Reflected, and Superposed Waves The app color-codes the traveling "Incident Wave," the bouncing "Reflected Wave," and the combined "Superposed Wave." You can see at a glance the exact moment waves interfere to become larger (constructive) or smaller (destructive). - Time Machine Function (Seek Bar & Frame-by-Frame) Pause the wave motion and use the seek bar to freely travel back to past waveforms. Frame-by-frame advance and rewind buttons let you carefully observe and analyze the crucial moments when waves overlap. - Simple Harmonic Motion (SHM) Mode Automatically generate beautiful sine waves with a single button. Ideal for observing continuous waves traveling at a constant period or standing waves created by reflection. - Free Customization Adjust the simulation speed, change the colors of each wave, and use the snapshot feature (which leaves a faint trace of the waveform in the background). 【Recommended For】 - Students studying wave mechanics who want to visually understand wave reflection and interference. - Educators who want to clearly explain wave motion in their classes. - Anyone who wants to relax by watching soothing, undulating waves.

About

KOURAKU

Features
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KOURAKU is a visual education app about how people cross the sea and work out where they are β€” the science of navigation and positioning β€” learned by watching and interacting. Follow the story from classical celestial navigation to modern GPS through simulations and hands-on challenges. As the navigation module of the "Raku" series, KOURAKU sits next to KAIRAKU (oceanography). If KAIRAKU is the science of tides and currents, KOURAKU is the craft of using them to cross the ocean. It covers six topics from high-school earth science and physics up to introductory navigation. [Explore and Challenge β€” a learning cycle] Every mode can be used in two ways: - Explore: move the sliders freely and see the principle at work. - Challenge: solve a task with the answer hidden. Read the instrument to measure, work out your position, then check your answer. When you get it right, the app shows the reasoning step by step. Each mode has 5 stages, for 30 stages across the 6 modes. Cleared stages are recorded in the Logbook on the home screen, so you can see your progress at a glance. [Six Modes] - Celestial Latitude Measure a body's altitude with a sextant and find your latitude. The altitude of Polaris equals your latitude, and from the noon Sun you get latitude = 90Β° βˆ’ altitude + declination. In the challenges, line the sextant up with the star or the Sun, read the altitude, and give the ship's latitude. - Longitude & Chronometer Longitude comes from the time difference between local noon and Greenwich time. The Earth turns 15Β° every hour, so a clock running ahead or behind tells you how far east or west you are. See why a marine chronometer that keeps accurate time at sea made longitude measurable. - Dead Reckoning Build up course and speed over time to estimate your position. Add a current and watch the estimated position drift away from the true one. Challenges range from distance run to choosing a course that allows for the current. - Chart & Compass Correct a compass course for deviation and variation to get the true course (add East, subtract West). Then try the reverse: from a true course on the chart, find the compass course to steer. - Tides The sea rises and falls with the Moon and Sun: spring tides around new and full moon, neap tides around the quarters. Read the times and heights of high and low water from a 24-hour tide curve, and work out when a ship can safely cross a shallow channel. - GPS Positioning Find your position from the distances to several satellites (trilateration). Turn signal travel time into range, see how a tiny receiver clock error throws the fix far off, and how a fourth satellite solves that error. [Features] - 30 challenge stages: 6 modes Γ— 5 stages - A Logbook that records cleared stages (clear it any time) - Principle / explanation sheet in every mode - A one-line "how to try" guide on every screen - A journey through time from classical navigation to modern GPS - 9 languages (Japanese, English, Chinese Simplified/Traditional, Spanish, Portuguese (BR), Korean, German, French) - Supports landscape, large text sizes, and VoiceOver - Difficulty labels (Beginner, Standard, Advanced), a "Start here" mark and a start button on Home show where to begin - Nautical chart and logbook visuals, with dark / light themes - About screen with links to the privacy policy and support - Free to use with every feature unlocked (banner ads only; no in-app purchases or subscriptions) [Recommended for] - Students of earth science, physics, navigation, or positioning - Anyone who wants an intuitive feel for celestial navigation, longitude, and dead reckoning - People interested in the sea, ships, and geography - Teachers looking for classroom material - Anyone curious about how GPS actually works out where you are Note: This app uses simplified simulations for education. Do not use it for real navigation or positioning.

Screenshots

WaveMachine at Home4 screens
KOURAKU4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: KOURAKU at 15.0 against WaveMachine at Home's 17.6. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference Β· 4 level
WaveMachine at Home versus KOURAKU: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWaveMachine at HomeKOURAKU
PriceFreeFree
AdsYesYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod β€” better
Requires iOS17.615.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size15 MB26 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSatoshi YamakawaFuji Bit Inc.

In-app purchases

None

WaveMachine at Home

No in-app purchases

None

KOURAKU

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is WaveMachine at Home free?
WaveMachine at Home is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is KOURAKU free?
KOURAKU is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do WaveMachine at Home or KOURAKU have ads?
Both WaveMachine at Home and KOURAKU show ads.

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