Accelerometers
Accelerometers, gyroscopes and inertial navigation systems (IMU) are small, multi-purpose sensor devices that appear in an increasing number of electronic devices in our daily environment, including in mobile phones, game consoles, toys, self-balancing robots, as well as in Motion Capture - the technology of human body movement analysis used not only in medicine. Accelerometers are mainly used to measure the linear acceleration of an object, gyroscopes to measure its angular velocity and orientation, and the IMU systems are an integrated combination of a gyro and accelerometer, providing the control system with all the necessary data about the movement and position of the object. The implementation of such measurement functions is also possible thanks to our Grove accelerometers and gyroscopes.
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Accelerometers - FAQ
Accelerometer - as the name suggests - is a sensor designed to measure accelerations. This type of measurements are used both in mobile devices (e.g. for detecting steps), industry (measuring machine vibrations) and drones (for measuring vehicle movement parameters).
The principle of operation of a piezoelectric accelerometer is to convert small deflections of a special weight (so-called seismic mass) - connected to a piezoelectric element - into voltage. These deflections are caused by accelerations, including various vibrations and shocks, affecting the sensor .
Accelerometers can be found in virtually every modern mobile device (e.g. smartphone, smartwatch or sports band), as well as in many applications for professional use (e.g. in systems for measuring vibrations of machine elements, drive motors, etc.). Accelerometers are also essential in the design of drone flight controllers.