This section provides an overview for gyroscopic (gyro) sensors as well as their applications and principles. Also, please take a look at the list of 8 gyroscopic (gyro) sensor manufacturers and their company rankings. Here are the top-ranked gyroscopic (gyro) sensor companies as of September, 2023: 1.Epson Europe Electronics GmbH, 2.Dynalabs Mühendislik LTD, 3.Innalabs.
Table of Contents
A gyroscopic (gyro) sensor is a sensor used to detect angular velocity.
It is also called a gyroscope. Angular velocity refers to the physical quantity of rotation of an object per unit of time, and is an indispensable sensor in today's industrial machinery products, where advanced and accurate control is required.
Gyro sensors are heavily used in fields such as robotics, aircraft, and automobile body control, where feedback control must take into account minute rotations.
Gyro sensors are used in a wide range of applications in the control of smartphones, digital cameras, gaming devices, space industry, aviation, automobiles, and industrial robots.
Specific applications of gyro sensors are as follows:
Gyro sensors have different characteristics depending on the product, such as size and heat and vibration tolerance. Therefore, the accuracy of the control of the device using the gyro sensor and the environment in which it will be used must be taken into consideration when selecting a gyro sensor.
Gyro sensors are typically classified into the vibration type, which functions according to the Coriolis force, and the optical type, which functions according to the Sagnac effect of light.
The Coriolis force used in vibrating gyro sensors is the fictitious force acting on an object located in a rotating frame of reference with respect to an inertial frame.
Vibration gyro sensors can be further classified into piezoelectric and capacitive types.
The relationship between the Coriolis force and angular velocity can be expressed by the following equation.
ω=F/2mv (ω: angular velocity, F: Coriolis force, m: mass of object, v: velocity of movement)
The Sagnac effect used in optical gyroscopic sensors is the principle stating that if the optical path through which light passes is in motion, the length of the optical path will increase. This physical phenomenon occurs because the speed of light is always constant. In an optical gyroscopic sensor, the light path lengthens as the orbiting light itself rotates, and the angular velocity can be calculated by measuring the phase difference caused by the lengthening.
Drift Correction
There are multiple factors that can cause errors in the output of Gyroscopic (Gyro) Sensors. One of the most important such factors is drift, which refers to the drift of the zero point, which is originally given as the initial value, resulting in a gradual shift of the initial value and a larger detection error.
Internal factors that cause drift include DC component fluctuations (low-frequency fluctuations) and high-frequency noise effects; DC component fluctuations are called bias instability and high-frequency noise is called angular random walk. Bias instability depends on the stability of the supply voltage, which can be improved by reviewing the power supply.
Angular Random Walk Correction
The correction method for angular random walk is a matter of each company's know-how, but a commonly used correction method is to use a Kalman filter.
The Kalman filter is a method for estimating the most appropriate system state based on the previous information and the currently acquired data. It can be rephrased as a problem of estimating the original state of a variable that changes with time, based on the past information and the currently acquired information. It is important to treat the measured values and the variables themselves as if they are subject to noise.
Gyroscopic sensors are similar to accelerometers. Although they are sometimes confused, they are completely different.
As the name suggests, acceleration sensors are designed to detect acceleration. They use inertial forces to measure changes in the speed at which an object is moving and outputs them as an electrical signal. Acceleration sensors are used in a wide range of applications because other types of information, such as the state of vibration of an object and the magnitude of impact, can also be obtained from acceleration. The basic structure is similar to that of a gyro sensor.
Gyros sensors, on the other hand, as mentioned above, are used to detect angular velocity. They use the Coriolis force to measure the motion (rotation) and changes in orientation and posture of an object and output them as electrical signals.
Recently, 3-axis and 6-axis sensors are often described as sensors that detect inertial force. Each corresponds to acceleration (3-axis) and angular velocity (6-axis) of forward/backward, left/right, and up/down, and as in-vehicle sensors, they are indispensable for ADAS and automatic driving technology, which are driving assistance systems for automobiles.
As an example, car navigation systems are equipped with both Gyroscopic (Gyro) Sensors and Acceleration Sensors. By using Gyroscopic (Gyro) Sensors to detect the direction of the car and Acceleration Sensors to detect the distance traveled, the current location can be displayed with high accuracy even in places where signal reception is difficult, such as inside a tunnel.
The three axes are represented by roll, pitch, and yaw, and these axes can be used to represent posture. Especially for roll and pitch, it is possible to compensate for the drift, which is a source of error, as a feedback circuit. Furthermore, as a different ref for drift correction, there is a current standard that uses a magnetometer sensor in addition to the 6-axis compatible sensor, in which case it is called a 9-axis compatible sensor.
Gyro sensors are used to display and control the motion of rotating machinery. MEMS technology is used in the semiconductor industry, where it is based on thin-film microfabrication technology.
Gyroscopic sensors also differ from optical and mechanical sensors in that they are relatively easy to miniaturize and integrate, and because MEMS sensors are highly compatible with ASICs that enable relatively sophisticated control, they are built into many devices, including smartphones and other mobile devices.
Furthermore, gyro sensors have different detection ranges for angular velocity, depending on their application. For example, mobile devices such as smartphones require a range of 300 to 2000 DPS (degrees per second, rotation angle per second), while automotive devices such as car navigation systems require a range of 100 to 500 DPS.
Therefore, when selecting a sensor, one must consider how much detection range is sufficient based on the usage conditions of the device.
*Including some distributors, etc.
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Panasonic Industry, Founded in 1918, is an enabler that provides customer with unique strength through their material and process technologies. Panasonic Industry wants to make social demands strong and help in solving problems associated with such demands. Panasonic Industry manufactures numerous products such as capacitors, relays, connectors, sensors, etc. Such products are used in automobiles, solution modules, home appliances, health care, and other equipment. Their aim is to improve society and make it richer via new methodologies and technologies.
Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (Murata Manufacturing) was founded in 1944 and is headquartered in Nagaokakyo, Japan. Murata Manufacturing designs, manufactures, and sells ceramic-based passive electronic components and solutions globally. The company operates through components, modules, and others segments, serving communications, mobility, industrial, healthcare, and personal electronics customers. They company's product offerings include noise suppression products, quartz devices,RFID devices, phase shifters, and wireless connectivity platforms. Services such as webinars and video library are also available for existing and potential customers alike.
Analog Devices was incorporated in 1965 and is headquartered in Wilmington, Massachusetts. The company is a designer and manufacturer of integrated circuits, software, and components that utilize analog, digital, and mixed-signal processes used in LIDAR, radar, RF solutions, 5G, and other technology solutions. The company serves markets including aerospace, automotive, communications, healthcare, and intelligent buildings. The company offers hundreds of products across technological platforms, but also offers customers reference designs, evaluation hardware & software, design tools, simulation models, and other support to ensure seamless integration of the company’s products into customers’ systems.
ST Micro Electronics is a global semiconductor company serving customers with innovations to have a positive impact on people's lives. Their product line is micro electronic systems, such as switches, controllers, sensors and drivers. The main selling point of ST Micro Electronics is its provision of sustainable products, and introducing their electronics to create a more sustainable world. The company, as well as providing the electronic devices, also provides software and support, ensuring that all fields are covered to provide a fully provide a supported and strong relationship with their customer base. ST Micro Electronics believe that technology plays a key role in helping to solve environmental and social challenges, which is why their semiconductor technologies start with their employees, their customers and partners.
Epson Europe Electronics GmbH has been a manufacturer and supplier of electronic devices and components since 1989 and is based in Munich, Germany. The company's product portfolio includes quartz crystal devices, semiconductor devices, and sensing systems. The quartz crystals which are also known as timing devices are further subcategorized into crystal units, Oscillators, and real-time clock modules. The semiconductors have sues as Microcontroller, Display controllers, and for small network connecting, whereas the sensing systems provide solutions for accuracy, noise control, power consumption, and stability. These products have uses in Automotives, Industrial networking and healthcare, fitness, and energy control solutions.
Innalabs, established in 2012 and based in Dublin, Ireland, is a manufacturer and supplier of inertial sensor technology. The product portfolio includes specific solutions for Coriolis vibratory gyroscopes and quartz servo accelerometers with high-accuracy navigation and stabilization. The products are used in various industries which include space, aerospace, land applications, marine, energy, transportation, and new technology markets. The company also offers world-class research, technial and development facilities with full product cycle solutions and inertial systems.
Ranking as of September 2023 in United States of America
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Epson Europe Electronics GmbH |
26.7%
|
2 | Dynalabs Mühendislik LTD |
23.3%
|
3 | Innalabs |
20.0%
|
4 | Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. |
13.3%
|
5 | STMicroelectronics |
13.3%
|
6 | Analog Devices, Inc. |
3.3%
|
Ranking as of September 2023 Globally
Derivation MethodRank | Company | Click Share |
---|---|---|
1 | Dynalabs Mühendislik LTD |
23.8%
|
2 | Epson Europe Electronics GmbH |
23.8%
|
3 | Innalabs |
16.7%
|
4 | STMicroelectronics |
16.7%
|
5 | Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. |
14.3%
|
6 | SUMITOMO PRECISION PRODUCTS Co., Ltd. |
2.4%
|
7 | Analog Devices, Inc. |
2.4%
|
Derivation Method
The ranking is calculated based on the click share within the gyroscopic (gyro) sensor page as of September 2023. Click share is defined as the total number of clicks for all companies during the period divided by the number of clicks for each company.Number of Employees
Newly Established Company
Company with a History
2 products are listed.
SENSATEC Co., Ltd.
Use ・ Procedure control of agricultural equipment, robots, etc., turning control ・ Procedure control of unmanned transport vehicles (AGV), turning ...