what is gyroscope in mobiles

 

A gyroscope is a type of sensor that you can find in all mobile devices, just like the accelerometer and magnetometer. The three sensors are typically referred to collectively as angular velocity measurement units. There are many different types of gyroscopes, but they all measure rotation around three axes, or degrees."

 

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When you look at your phone's screen and see that it is tilted sharply left or right, it means you probably have a loose hinge on your device. 

 

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Before we go into how to fix this problem with your device, first understand what exactly a gyroscope does for your phone..

 

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What is a Gyroscope?

A gyroscope is a sensor that detects changes in orientation and angular velocity around it. An angular velocity vector represents the rate of rotation which can be represented as an angle, along any one of three dimensions, or 'axes' in space. 

 

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A gyroscope is typically used to measure an object's rotation around a specific axis – for example, the earth's axis. 

 

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In your phone, it measures the relative change on all three axes at once. But you can also look at it another way: The gyroscope measures any change in orientation from the current position of the phone (tilting one way or another).

 

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In a sense, the gyroscope is the most accurate angular velocity measurement unit out there because it measures around all axes. 

 

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The most common type of gyroscope you can find in your phone is the tiny MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) gyroscope that consists of a tiny mechanical structure that is operated by an electric current. However, this type of gyroscope isn't as accurate as ring laser gyros or fiber optic gyros.

 

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A ring laser gyroscope uses lasers to measure any change in orientation on an axis. A fiber optic gyroscope uses the Bragg effect with light beams. 

 

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The fiber optic gyroscope is a type of accelerometer that can be used to calculate the rate of rotation about any one of three axes.

 

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What Does a Gyroscope Do?

A gyroscope can be used to measure changes in orientation or angular velocity. The most common use is to detect rotation around three axes (like the earth's axis) and it uses mechanical sensors.

 

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 It works by measuring changes in distance between the sensor and each axis (relative to the current position). 

 

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This allows it to measure the rotation around any given axis, and therefore determine whether your phone is pointed straight up or down from its current position. Moreover, you can use all three axis under this measurement such as tilt, pitch, and roll..

 

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How Do I Use the Gyroscope?

You are probably familiar with some apps that use the gyroscope to add functionality to your phone. For example, games like Asphalt 7 or Downhill Skiing 2 make use of the gyroscope to keep your rider upright during a race. 

 

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They use the readings from the gyroscopes to determine whether your device is tilting forward or backward, and then tilt the screen accordingly. Another notable game that makes use of the gyroscope is Angry Birds..

 

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In addition, you can also make use of the compass for augmented reality applications: point your device at something (like a building) and it will provide you with more information about what it saw.