Gyroscopes
A gyroscope is a device for measuring or maintaining orientation, based on the principle of conservation of angular momentum. The essence of the device is a spinning wheel on an axle. The device, once spinning, tends to resist changes to its orientation due to the angular momentum of the wheel. In physics this phenomenon is also known as gyroscopic inertia or rigidity in space. (Wikipedia).
There is a big selection of gyroscopes available. Below is a short summary of some that looked more-or-less applicable to robots (selection criteria included price, size, temperature drift, analog vs digital, etc.)
| Part |
Range |
Axis |
Price |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
±300 |
Z |
$50 CDN (250 pc. order) |
|
|
±300 |
Z |
$75 CDN |
|
Accelerometers
An accelerometer is a device that measures its own acceleration. Robot orientation requires measurements on two axes.
| Part |
Range |
Sensitivity |
Price |
Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
±2g |
330 mV/g |
$13 CDN |
2-axis measurement |
|
±2g |
digital |
$19 CDN |
|
|
±2g / ±6g |
digital |
$19 CDN |
|
|
±2g |
1333 counts/g |
$33 CDN |
|
|
±1.7g |
820 counts/g |
$39 CDN |
|
|
±1.7g |
1000 mv/g |
$27 CDN |
|
Recommendations
An accelerometer like LIS3LV02DL may be a good choice for a robot. This device has a digital output, and its measurements are linear, which means it will be easier to calibrate.
Another choice would be a gyroscope like ADIS16100. It also features digital output, and will detect rotation but not translational movement. Gyroscope will take a long time to calibrate.