An accelerometer is a device which is used to adequately measure proper acceleration. Available in many different shapes and sizes, the items are able to detect acceleration, orientation, and even vibration. Presently, accelerometers are extremely popular and found in all sorts of things like pedometers, video game controllers, and cell phones.
Their initial purpose was to validate universal gravity and other Newtonian physics. The very first accelerometer, dubbed the Atwood Machine, was invented by an English physicist named George Atwood in 1783. The machines behave like sort of damped masses on springs. When any kind of acceleration is experienced, the mass is displaced enough for the spring to calculate the speed and velocity.
One of the most popular applications of these devices is their contribution to the automobile. When it comes to measuring a vehicle's acceleration, there's simply no better device. Apart from the creation of speedometers, accelerometers also make measuring a car's vibration and performance evaluation of their brake system possible. And if that's not enough, the meters help precisely determine the instant when airbags should be deployed.
There are a number of medical applications as well. Meter-based step counters, also known as pedometers, use internal accelerometers to measure movements. The devices are clipped onto a belt or piece of clothing near the hip and worn throughout the day to determine a person's miles walked per day. In a culture where the majority of Americans are overweight and under active, they are an excellent way to promote a more active lifestyle.
They are also very effective when implemented in the machines that monitor and stabilize health vitals. Small accelerometers inside are able to adequately detect problems inside the machine before they fail. When used in the exact same way, the devices can be used to monitor the health of and alert to potential problems in all sorts of other machinery as well.
Increasingly, the meters are being utilized in the field of Biomedical Science as well. High frequency recordings allow researchers to observe the behavioral patterns of certain animals even when they are out of range. They can determine things like the animal's energy expenditure and migration distance. Currently, they are used mostly by marine biologists, but scientists in other areas are adopting them as well.
Meters have an important role in the monitoring of structures and buildings as well. Things like air blast pressure, vehicle collisions, building demolition, and earthquake stats can all be properly measured and monitored thanks to accelerometers. This type of monitoring, also known as Dynamic Monitoring, is important for assessing the safety of a certain structure or object.
Increasingly, small electronic meters are being included into the designs of certain smartphones, personal navigation systems, and digital music players. They're used to determine which way the device's screen should be facing, detect car crashes and notify for assistance, and keep track of the machine's location so that it can be used as a navigation system. Newer video game consoles have also started using this type of motion detecting for their new, more realistic games.
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