This is just using the accelerometer part of the IMU which is responsible for measuring accelerations. When we change the mode in which we are holding the phone, the accelerometer’s readings change and this, in turn, changes the screen orientation for us. If the acceleration due to gravity is measured in the accelerometer placed in the X direction then it means we are holding the phone in portrait mode and similarly if we are holding the phone in landscape mode, then the acceleration due to gravity will be sensed on the accelerometer placed in the Y direction. One to measure acceleration along the long side of the phone (X direction), one to measure along the short side (Y direction) and one on the axis that’s coming out of the phone. Have a look at the picture below.Īs you can see in the picture, the IMU chip is placed inside the phone and it usually has 3 accelerometers placed in 3 directions. On our phones, usually, an IMU with a 3-axis accelerometer is used to sense the direction on which the gravity is acting on. So IMU can be used to sense the gravity as it can measure acceleration. This is the reason we will feel very weightless on the Moon.Īs we saw above, IMU is used to detect movements and measure accelerations and rotational velocity of movements. On our home planet Earth this acceleration due to gravity is 9.81m/s2 (at sea level) and on Moon, it is 1.62 m/s². That’s because gravity is measured in acceleration. In physics, we often use this term “acceleration due to gravity” when we talk about gravitational forces. How does it know which way we are holding the phone? The answer is that it senses gravity. I am sure many of us take it for granted of how our smartphones magically change its orientation from portrait to landscape when we tilt our phones horizontally. Let’s see some familiar examples of how this is useful. So let’s start with the applications first.ĥ Related Articles Applications of IMU sensor
This way when we get to the how it works part, we will automatically have those examples running in our minds and the idea behind these technologies will be much easier to grasp. I believe that while we are starting to learn some technologies, especially sensors, a good starting point is learning its application areas first before we actually look into the details of how that technology works internally to help us achieve those applications. It is used to detect movements and measure the intensity of movements in terms of acceleration and rotational speeds. An IMU sensor is a combination of an accelerometer and a gyroscope sensor. What is an IMU sensor? IMU stands for Inertial Measurement Unit.
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In this post, I have tried to explain what IMU sensors are, how they work and where and how to use these sensors keeping beginners in mind. But once I got some experience playing with it, and got to understand what it physically measures that fear vanished quickly. When I heard the term IMU for the first time, I thought it was some cool technology that is beyond my understanding.
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