Is there a gyroscope in iPhone 4s? Gyroscope in a smartphone - what is it and why is it needed? Gyroscope functions in a smartphone
For some time now it has become clear that the gyroscope is a very important sensor. And it’s very sad that smartphone manufacturers modestly keep silent about its absence at their presentations. Fortunately, you can find out about the presence or absence of a gyroscope both before and after purchasing the device. How to do this is described in today's article.
But first, let's understand what exactly a gyroscope is. We will also try to find out whether it is considered such an important detail. And only after that we will tell you how to check for its presence.
A full-fledged gyroscope is similar in shape to a spinning top or a top. It has a stand, rotor disc, hairpin and several hoops. Its design is made in such a way that the disk is always in one position, for which we should thank gravity.
It is impossible to install a classic gyroscope in a smartphone, since it is too large. Therefore, a special sensor based on a microelectromechanical system is used instead. Its width varies from 5 to 10 mm, and its height does not exceed 5 mm. However, even such dimensions seem too large to some smartphone manufacturers, and therefore they often refuse to install a gyroscope.
Where is a gyroscope used?
This sensor is an improved version of the accelerometer. With his help operating system not only knows in time about the movement and rotation of the device, but can also accurately track all these actions. If the accelerometer is a kind of building level, then the gyroscope increases the accuracy of the readings of this sensor significantly.
If you want to purchase a VR helmet for Android in the future, then your device must have a gyroscope. This sensor will track the rotation of your head, directing your virtual gaze exactly in the direction in which your real eyes are directed. Also, the gyroscope on Android helps in viewing the starry sky. If you use the appropriate application, it will understand which direction the camera is facing, showing the names of those visible in this moment constellations.
This sensor is also used in augmented reality games. The most striking example of this is Pokemon Go. If your smartphone does not have a gyroscope, then pocket monsters will jump on virtual grass. If the sensor is present, then the animals will move around the real world, the visible area of which falls into the view of the built-in camera.
How to find out if your smartphone or tablet has a gyroscope
There are several ways to find out if your device has a gyroscope. The most commonplace thing is to go to the manufacturer’s official website to get acquainted with the technical characteristics of the gadget. Specifically, the gyroscope needs to be looked for in the list of sensors. But we’re not looking for easy ways, are we? Therefore, he will move on to other methods.
If you have installed it on your smartphone or tablet YouTube client, then open it and enter in search bar request " 360 video" Start displaying any of the returned results. If you can roll your eyes virtual camera by turning the smartphone, the gyroscope is present and functioning successfully. If you can only turn your gaze with your finger, then there is no sensor in the device.
Another way is to use the application AnTuTu Benchmark. You need to download it, install it and run it. In the " Info"you will discover everything technical specifications your device. You will also see the name of the built-in gyroscope. Or you will find that he " Not supported"(that is, it simply does not exist).
Instead of AnTuTu, you can install more specialized utility. It's about O Sensor Sense. It displays readings from all sensors built into the smartphone. If the gyroscope is not in the list, then it is not built into the gadget. This can also be said if the data from this sensor does not change when the device is rotated in your hands.
How to enable gyroscope on Android?
This element of the smartphone works on permanent basis. It cannot be enabled or disabled. If at this moment you are thinking about the screen rotation function, then the accelerometer is responsible for it. And this feature can actually be disabled. To do this, do the following:
1. Go to the system settings section.
2. Go to the subsection " Screen».
3. Here you can easily find the item responsible for the actions of the device when it is rotated. Change its value to the desired one.
On the body of some old gadgets (mostly tablet computers) you can find a separate switch. It blocks screen rotation, regardless of the settings.
Is it possible to customize the gyroscope?
As mentioned above, the gyroscope is a completely independent sensor, the operation of which cannot be interfered with in any way. If the accelerometer can be calibrated, then no similar actions can be performed with the gyroscope. If it is missing at all, then you will have to buy it for an augmented or virtual reality new phone.
Mobile phones are becoming more complex every year. To count the number of all sensors built into modern smartphones, the fingers of both hands may be missing. Gyroscope in a phone - what kind of sensor is it, how does it work, what is its application, is it possible to turn off this device? These questions will be discussed for those who want to have a good understanding of their smartphone.
What is a gyroscope
Yula, aka the top, is a famous toy. During rapid rotation, it remains stable at one point of support. This simple device is the simplest example of a gyroscope - a device that responds to changes in the orientation angles of the body on which it is installed in three planes. The term was first used by the French physicist and mathematician Jean Foucault.
Gyroscopes are classified by the number of degrees of freedom and by the principle of operation (mechanical and optical). Vibration gyro sensors, a subtype of mechanical ones, are widely used in mobile devices Oh. The use of GPS navigation has overshadowed the original function of gyroscopes - to help with orientation, but this technology is still indispensable in modern models phones.
Difference from accelerometer
On modern mobile gadgets Often both of these devices are installed. Key Difference gyroscope from accelerometer and other sensors lies in the very principle of operation of these devices. The first determines its own angle of inclination relative to the ground, and the second is capable of measuring linear acceleration. The advantage of an accelerometer is that knowing the acceleration allows you to accurately calculate the distance the device has been moved.
In practice, both devices can both replace and complement each other. In fact, both of them only record their position relative to the earth’s surface. Like a gyroscope, an accelerometer can transmit acceleration information to the smartphone on which it is installed. Both sensors are often used; they interact well. The table records key features devices.
Operating principle
In simple words, a gyroscope is a top that quickly rotates around a vertical axis, mounted on a frame that can rotate around a horizontal axis, and mounted on another frame that rotates around a third axis. No matter how we turn the top, it always has the opportunity to still be in a vertical position. The sensors record the signal of how the top is oriented relative to the frames, and the processor receives information and reads with high accuracy how the frames in this case should be positioned relative to gravity.
What is a gyroscope in a smartphone?
Modern mobile devices are mostly equipped with gyroscopes. They are also called gyro sensors. This element of the smartphone works on an ongoing basis, autonomously, and does not require calibration. This device does not need to be turned on, but some phones have a shutdown feature to save energy. It is made in the form of a microelectromechanical circuit located under the smartphone body.
What is it needed for
The introduction of gyro sensor technology into mobile devices has significantly expanded their functionality and added new way device management. For example, simply shaking the phone will allow you to answer incoming call. Changing the screen orientation by tilting the smartphone is also implemented thanks to gyro sensors; This device provides camera stabilization. In the Calculator app, simply rotating the screen 90 degrees opens additional functions programs.
The gyro sensor has greatly simplified the use of maps built into smartphones. If a person turns his device “facing” towards, say, a specific street, then this will be displayed on the map with high accuracy. Good smartphone with gyroscope provides a couple of interesting options for mobile gaming. Driving a virtual car becomes incredibly realistic when you use your smartphone's turns to drive the car. In virtual reality technologies, head turns are tracked using gyro sensors.
How does a gyroscopic sensor work?
In a gyro sensor there are two masses moving in opposite directions. When appears angular velocity, the mass is acted upon by a Coriolis force directed perpendicular to their motion. There is a displacement of the masses by an amount proportional to the applied speed. The distance between the moving and stationary electrodes changes, which leads to a change in the capacitance of the capacitor and the voltage on its plates, and this is an electrical signal. Such electronic signals are recognized by the gyro sensor.
How to find out if your smartphone has a gyroscope
An easy way is to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of the device on the manufacturer’s official website. If there is a gyro sensor, this will definitely be indicated. Some manufacturers are silent about whether the phone has a gyroscope, not wanting to waste space on it. They can be understood - everyone is now trying to make the phone lighter and thinner. In such cases they will help third party applications.
YouTube has a whole section of videos that can be rotated 360 degrees. If you can control such video by turning your smartphone, then the gyroscope is working. You can also install the application AnTuTu Benchmark, which conducts a complete diagnosis of your device. There you will find a line about the presence or absence of a gyroscope.
Which phones have a gyroscope?
The first smartphone to have a gyro sensor was the iPhone 4. Buyers reacted positively to this innovation and since then, phones with a gyroscope have begun to fill the market. All subsequent versions Apple smartphones were equipped with gyro sensors. In this regard, it is a little more difficult for owners of Android devices, fortunately, you can ask a consultant about the presence of a sensor before purchasing, or check it yourself. The gyroscope on your phone is an important bonus.
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Few companies can boast that with their input, the future of the industry is being built and changing before our eyes. A year ago availability gyroscope In a smartphone, it would seem to us a completely illogical investment on the part of the manufacturer. Why is it needed? It turned out that it was needed - after the iPhone 4, all advanced smartphones from other manufacturers began to be equipped with this module. But only after.
The gyroscope belongs to the "family" microelectromechanical systems, which include accelerometers, magnetometric and other highly specialized sensors. The market for these miniature elements, also known as MEMS, received a serious impetus for development at the moment when Apple began installing a gyroscope in the iPhone 4, and then in iPod Touch latest generation. More than successful sales iDevice led to the fact that at the end of the year, manufacturers of MEMS elements became noticeably richer than before.
Apple iPhone 4 was a milestone for the MEMS market. As the first phone to use a gyroscope and one of the first mobile devices to use two MEMS microphones to cancel noise, the iPhone 4 had a huge effect on the phone industry, with a whole host of companies offering devices with the same elements.
Jeremy Bouchad, Analytical Director, MEMS Division I.H.S.
This is best seen on following example. At the end of 2010, fewer than five phones released on the market could boast of having a gyroscope. More than 45 phones and tablets with a gyroscope are expected in 2011. If you still haven’t found a use for this thing in your “four”, pay attention to the applications of a rather promising sensor for the entertainment industry. [9to5mac]
Recently (since 2015), more and more users have become interested: is there a gyroscope in the smartphone that they constantly use? This was especially strongly influenced by the recently released Pokemon game Go, which requires this sensor. Without it, “Pokemon” cannot work in augmented reality mode, showing the animal in its natural habitat.
It's not just games that require a gyroscope. Like the digital compass, it improves performance navigation system, allows you to implement some gesture controls, etc. Often the gyroscope is combined with the accelerometer of a smartphone, and in this tandem the smartphone can be used when viewing virtual reality with glasses. But sometimes only one of the sensors can be used. This article will help you find out how a gyroscope works and why you need it, and find out if your smartphone has one.
What is a horoscope?
A gyroscope is a special sensor in a smartphone that works by determining the vector of gravity. It allows you to determine in which direction it is directed in order to determine the position of the device in space. A classic gyroscope is a stand with a hoop in which a smaller hoop is attached to a hinge. Inside it there is another hoop, and in the center of the hoop there is a rotating disk-rotor on a hairpin.
How Steve Jobs promoted a gyroscope and accelerometer in a smartphone
Under the influence of gravity, the disk is always in the same position, regardless of which way the gyroscope is tilted. This feature allows you to record the deviations of the gyroscope suspension to determine its position in space. However, the classic gyroscope in a gimbal is not applicable in miniature electronics. Smartphones are equipped with smaller MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) with a detection ring. Their case dimensions range from 5 to 10 mm in width and length, 2-5 mm in height, which is acceptable for a smartphone.
Why do you need a gyroscope in a smartphone?
The most popular function assigned to the smartphone gyroscope (this was more than 5 years ago) was determining the position for automatically rotating the image on the screen. Then the sensor began to be used in navigation programs, games, applications that do construction-level work. Its data can be used for gesture control. For example, when you turn the device screen down, it turns on silent mode or the screen is blocked.
The possibilities for using a gyroscope are quite wide and are limited only by the imagination of program developers. Together with the accelerometer, the sensor is used in most modern 3D games. You can play and view 360-degree content together with a smartphone VR headset. The functions of both sensors are similar, they are 90% interchangeable. However, manufacturers often refuse one of the sensors, and in this case you won’t be able to play with glasses, the responsiveness will be at a low level. 
How to find out if your smartphone has a gyroscope?
The easiest way for owners to determine whether a smartphone has a gyroscope Apple technology. If you have an iPhone 4 or newer, the sensor is definitely present on the board. Owners of devices based on Android OS can take advantage of applications that display full specifications smartphone.
In Aida64, you can view what sensors are on board in the “Sensors” tab. The same functionality is available in the popular AnTuTu benchmark. You can view the gyroscope readings in detail and find out whether it is working correctly in the Sensor Sense application. In the Sensor Kinetics application, you can find data about any smartphone sensors and check their performance.