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Inertial sensors comprise accelerometers and gyroscopes, commonly abbreviated to gyros. An accelerometer measures specific force and a gyroscope measures angular rate, both without an external reference. Devices that measure the velocity, acceleration, or angular rate of a body with respect to features in the environment are not inertial sensors.
Micro-machined inertial sensors, consisting of accelerometers and gyroscopes, are one of the most important types of silicon-based sensors. Micro-accelerometers alone have the second largest sales volume after pressure sensors.
The large volume demand for accelerometers is due to their automotive applications, where they are used to activate safety systems, including air bags, to implement vehicle stability systems and electronic suspension.
However, the application of accelerometers covers a much broader spectrum where their small size and low cost have even a larger impact. They are used in biomedical applications for activity monitoring; in numerous consumer applications, such as active stabilization of picture in camcorders, head-mounted displays and virtual reality, three-dimensional mouse, and sport equipment; in industrial applications such as robotics and machine and vibration monitoring; in many other applications, such as tracking and monitoring mechanical shock and vibration during transportation and handling of a variety of equipment and goods; and in several military applications, including impact and void detection and saving and arming in missiles and other ordnance. High-sensitivity accelerometers are crucial components in self-contained navigation and guidance systems, earthquake prediction, and microgravity measurements and platform stabilization in space.
Micro-machined gyroscopes for measuring rate or angle of rotation have also attracted a lot of attention during the past few years for several applications. They can be used either as a low-cost miniature companion with micro-machined accelerometers to provide heading information for inertial navigation purposes or in other areas including automotive applications for ride stabilization and rollover detection; some consumer electronic applications, such as video-camera stabilization, virtual reality, and inertial mouse for computers; robotics applications; and a wide range of military applications.
Most types of accelerometers measure specific force along a single sensitive axis. Similarly, most types of gyros measure angular rate about a single axis.
An inertial measurement unit (IMU) combines multiple accelerometers and gyros, usually three of each, to produce a three-dimensional measurement of specific force and angular rate.
