If we consider the accelerometer, what it is, it will become clear when its scope will be determined. It covers laptops, mobile phones, a variety of gaming devices, as well as cars. The very purpose of this device is to measure apparent acceleration.
Scope of application
The accelerometer sensor in a mobile phone is used for many purposes. For example, to change the screen orientation. Or when performing certain functions when shaking the device. Do not forget about games, since now they are the ones who take over the main scope of accelerometers. These sensors are available in a variety of game console controllers, and they are also used in Sony's virtual reality helmet. If we consider the accelerometer what it is, then it is worth saying about its special significance in laptops, more precisely in the hard drives installed there. Everyone knows about the extreme fragility of hard drives, and in the case of laptops, the probability of their damage becomes several times higher. When the laptop crashes, the accelerometer detects a sharp change in acceleration, after which it gives a command to park the head of the hard drive, which helps to prevent not only damage to the device, but also data loss.
Alternative applications
A similar principle is used in a car DVR. At the time of sharp braking, rebuilding and accelerating the vehicle, a special marker remains on the video recording to protect it from erasure and overwriting, which makes it much easier to parse accidents in the future. If we consider the accelerometer, what it is and where it is used, it is worth saying that the automotive market is the most promising market for these devices. In game consoles and mobile phones, it is used exclusively for entertainment purposes, but in cars, all security systems are based on their work. The accelerometer sensor provides airbag deployment systems, ABS, adaptive cruise control, stabilization systems, adaptive suspension and other important systems. If we take into account that the attention of car manufacturers at the moment is most directed towards ensuring safety, then the areas of application of accelerometers will become more and more.
Ideas
Despite the fact that the framework for using accelerometers is clearly defined, developers are still thinking about what other purposes these devices are applicable to. For example, it was proposed to use an accelerometer in a smartphone as an earthquake sensor. What is it, it will become clear if we consider the device in more detail. As a result of the experiments, it became clear that the accelerometer is capable of picking up strong shocks of more than five points on the Richter scale, but it should be near the epicenter of the earthquake. Of course, this result can hardly be called impressive, but scientists are convinced that the accuracy of the devices will only grow over time, which will allow them to determine earthquakes of lesser strength in the future.
Applying new features
In connection with all of the above, only one question remains: why should the telephone accelerometer measure the strength of the shocks if an earthquake sensor already exists? Scientists decided to create in the future a network of smartphones in seismically active areas. The theory is that all the signals from these devices will come to the analytical center during an earthquake, so that it will be possible to identify the areas most affected by the disaster in order to coordinate rescue operations more effectively. The idea is not just very interesting, but rather in demand in some parts of the planet, but now it is still difficult to imagine its implementation in practice.
Device
If we consider the accelerometer, what is it, it will become clear after studying its design. Depending on the architecture, there are currently several types of devices. The operation of the accelerometer may well be based on the capacitor principle. In such a system, the movable part is made in the form of a conventional weight, shifted depending on which side the device is tilted. As it moves, a change in the capacitance of the capacitor, and more specifically, the voltage. These data allow you to get the weight offset, and with it the desired acceleration. This is exactly how the accelerometer gyroscope works.
The most common type are piezoelectric systems. They are based on a weight acting under pressure on a piezocrystal. In response to this, it generates an electric current, due to which it is possible to calculate the desired acceleration if the parameters of the entire system are known.
Accelerometers are presented in another embodiment, which is fundamentally different from those described above. They are called thermal. Their architecture provides for the use of an air bubble. The acceleration leads to its deviation from the initial position, which is fixed by special sensors. The acceleration value can be calculated if you know how much the air bubble has shifted during movement.
Accelerometer: what is it?
In a tablet and a smartphone, this sensor is most often used to react the device to a turn and other manipulations. This allows the screen to rotate too. In games, accelerometers are also used very actively, because control in this case is carried out by tilting the smartphone or tablet.