Accelerometer

An accelerometer or gravimeter is a device for measuring acceleration and the effects of gravity.

Related Topics:
Acceleration - Gravity

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

According to the equivalence principle in general relativity, the effects of gravity and acceleration are the same, so an accelerometer can make no distinction between these effects.

Related Topics:
Equivalence principle - General relativity

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Accelerometers are used along with gyroscopes in inertial guidance systems, as well as in many other scientific and engineering systems. One of the most common uses for MEMS accelerometers is in airbag deployment systems for modern automobiles. In this case the accelerometers are used to detect the rapid deceleration of the vehicle to determine when a collision has occurred and the severity of the collision.

Related Topics:
Gyroscopes - Inertial guidance - Scientific - Engineering - MEMS - Airbag

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Accelerometers are perhaps the simplest MEMS device possible sometimes consisting of little more than a suspended cantilever beam or proof mass with some type of deflection sensing and circuitry. MEMS Accelerometers are available in a wide variety of ranges up to thousands of gns. Single axis, dual axis, and three axis models are available.

Related Topics:
MEMS - Cantilever beam - Proof mass - G_n

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The widespread use of accelerometers in the automotive industry has pushed their cost down dramatically.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Types of accelerometer:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Piezo-film
• Surface Micromachined Capacitive (MEMS), Analog Devices, Motorola
• Thermal (submicron CMOS process), MEMSIC
• Bulk Micromachined Capacitive, VTI Technologies Oy
• Bulk Micromachined Piezo Resistive
• PiezoElectric
• Electromechanical Servo (Servo Force Balance ???)
• null-balance
• strain gage
• resonance
• magnetic induction
• optical
• Surface Acoustic Wave (SAW)
 
Accelerometer: In biology ►