Looking Outwards – Components and Sensors (Emily Smith)

Accelerometer

An accelerometer is a sensor that has plates inside of it. When these plates move the capacitance between them changes. Based on the capacitance the acceleration can be found.

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/accelerometer-basics

Magnetometer

This sensor measures the magnetic field of the earth. Using this you can detect north, and knowing north all of the directions.

https://www.adafruit.com/product/1746

discuss why you find it interesting, and how someone (like you!) might be able to make use of it.

Abosolute Orientation Sensor

https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-bno055-absolute-orientation-sensor/wiring-and-test?view=all

 

This sensor uses a magnetometer, an accelerometer, and a gyroscope to tell the orientation of an object in space, and how fast it’s going.

I found these interesting because with them you could potentially make some sort of self driven robot, or even a toy airplane. I think it would be cool to make it where you could put in a certain coordinate or distance and a speed and the robot will do as you say. Another cool thing that I saw was a simulation controlled by the Absolute Orientation sensor. It would be cool to make a game based on the movements your movements in the real world.