The development of consumer electronics and the popularization of smartphones have meant that accelerometers, gyroscopes and other sensors have ceased to be the domain of specialized navigation devices or other specialized areas.
Currently, every new phone is equipped with a whole bunch of sensors measuring the intensity of light, magnetic field, acceleration, position of the phone, atmospheric pressure and many other parameters and physical values.
In the article we will focus on the accelerometer. Many people have heard the name and certainly use it almost every day, using a phone or tablet, but so far they do not know exactly how it works.
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Accelerometer – what is this?
The accelerometer is a device for testing linear or angular acceleration. In general, the accelerometer studies the movement and acceleration of the devices in which it was installed. Otherwise the accelerometer is called an accelerometer. In the center of the accelerometer is an inert weight that responds properly to the accelerometer moving.
This were initially used massively in the airbags of cars produced at the end of the last century, in navigation and the aviation industry. Currently, thanks to the popularization of MEMS technology, it has become possible to install accelerometers and other sensors in consumer electronics devices such as smartphones, tablets and smartwatches.
Accelerometer – how does it work and what is it for?
The accelerometer is used for many tasks. Optical image stabilization can be a flagship example. In this case, the accelerometer minimizes the distortion of the image captured by the lens, which is caused by camera movement during recording of the frame.
The accelerometer registers every vibration and change of position and immediately sends a signal to miniature motors that counteract them. Thanks to this, cameras with image stabilization technology are able to take sharp photos when shaking hands, running or in another unstable environment.
Telephones with motion detection, i.e. equipped with accelerometers, allow you to control the equipment during games or application operation. Thanks to the fact that accelerometers measure acceleration in three axes (X, Y, Z), they can create a great controller from a smartphone, which in the case of a small keyboard can be an interesting alternative to support various interfaces in applications or games. However, this technology is even more desirable and more often used in smartbands and smartwatches.
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